West-Central Africa

division

ADULT SABBATH SCHOOL BIBLE STUDY GUIDE

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE: LESSONS FROM OLD TESTAMENT COUPLES

SEVENTH-DAY

ADVENTIST CHURCH

July

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Aug

■

Sept 2007

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

L. Chad

Lake Volta

Porto

Novo

Porto

Novo

OuagadougouOuagadougou

YaoundéYaoundé

N’DjamenaN’Djamena

LibrevilleLibreville

BamakoBamako

NouakchottNouakchott

NiameyNiamey

AbujaAbuja

BanguiBangui

BrazzavilleBrazzaville

BanjulBanjul

AccraAccra

ConakryConakry

BissauBissau

AbidjanAbidjan

MonroviaMonrovia

DakarDakar

FreetownFreetown

LoméLomé

NIGERNIGER

MAURITANIAMAURITANIA

MALIMALI

NIGERIANIGERIA

CHADCHAD

GABONGABON

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLICCENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

TOGOTOGO

BENINBENIN

••

TamaleTamale

GHANAGHANA

CÔTE

D'IVOIRE

CÔTE

D'IVOIRE

LIBERIALIBERIA

SIERRA

LEONE

SIERRA

LEONE

GUINEAGUINEA

BURKINA FASOBURKINA FASO

GAMBIAGAMBIA

••

DoualaDouala

CAMEROONCAMEROON

CONGOCONGO

EQUATORIAL GUINEAEQUATORIAL GUINEA

ENEGAL

GUINEA

BISSAU

GUINEA

BISSAU

CAPE

VERDE

CAPE

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*EAQ070701*

Where legally possible, offerings will go to these projects; otherwise special arrangement will be made with the

General Conference for distribution of funds based on the laws of the countries where these offerings are collected.

ADULT

SABBATH SCHOOL

BIBLE STUDY GUIDE

July

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Aug

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Sept 2007

Mission Projects

Our Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this quarter will help congrega-

tions throughout West-Central Africa provide the following:

● Churches for existing congregations in Benin, Gambia, Ghana,

Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

● A secondary school in Nigeria and a primary school in

Cameroon.

● Complete construction on phase one of the Adventist hospital in

Buea, Cameroon.

● Establish evangelistic training centers in Liberia, Nigeria, and

Sierra Leone.

For more information, visit www.adventistmission.org

●

Lessons From Old Testament Couples

ForBetter

or for :

Unions Churches Members Population

Central African 979 126,160 36,162,000

Eastern Nigeria 427 137,127 40,774,300

Ghana 986 307,370 22,019,000

North-Western Nigeria 319 96,560 90,755,700

Sahel 149 35,083 100,380,000

West African 95 38,338 10,403,000

Totals* 2,952 740,638 300,494,000

*Totals from Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook 2006

Contents

Editorial Assistants

Tresa Beard

Larie S. Gray

Jean Kellner

Pacific Press

Coordinator

Paul A. Hey

Art Director and Illustrator

Lars Justinen

Concept Design

Dever Design

Principal Contributor

Gordon Christo, Ph.D.

and Rosenita Christo, M.A.

Editor

Clifford R. Goldstein

Associate Editor

Soraya Homayouni Parish

Publication Manager

Lea Alexander Greve

The Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide is prepared by the Office of the Adult

Bible Study Guide of the Gener

al Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The

preparation of the guides is under the gener

al direction of a worldwide Sabbath

School Manuscript Evaluation Committee, whose members serve as consulting

editors. The published guide reflects the input of the committee and thus does not

solely or necessar

ily represent the intent of the author(s).

1 Adam and Eve: The Intended Ideal—June 30–July 6 ————— 6

2 Abraham and Sarah: Faith Tested and Tried—July 7–13————14

3 Isaac and Rebekah: Rearing Rivals—July 14–20————————22

4 Jacob and Rachel: Labor of Love— J u l y 2 1 – 2 7 —————————— 3 0

5 Moses and Zipporah: Relating With Relations—July 28–August 3–38

6 Samson and His Women: The Folly of Passion—August 4–10— 46

7 Boaz and Ruth: Firm Foundations—August 11–17———————56

8 Elkanah and Hannah: Fulfilling a Vow—August 18–24—————64

9 The Jobs: Living With Losses—August 25–31 ——————————72

10 David and Bathsheba: Adultery and After—September 1–7———80

11 Ahab and Jezebel: Abuse of Authority—September 8–14 ————88

12 Hosea and Gomer: Forgiving the Unfaithful—September 15–21–96

13 Yahweh and Israel: Fulfillment Beyond Failure—September 22–28

—————————————————————————————104

Editorial Office 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904

Come visit us at our Web site at [http://www.absg.adventist.org]

In his will, German poet Heinrich

Heine offered his estate to the man who

married his widow. The reason, he said,

was that this way he’d be sure that there

would be at least one person who

mourned his death.

Of all the devastating effects of sin, one

of the worst has to be what it has done to

marriage. From what we can gather from Scripture (and the wonder-

ful insights from the Spirit of Prophecy), marriage was meant to be

one of the most uplifting and edifying aspects of human existence. It

was designed to reveal our humanity in ways that nothing else could.

As if God, after the earth came forth from His creative word, hadn’t

already done enough for the race. In His love for us He gave us more,

perhaps what was to be even the best blessing of all—marriage.

Of course, from the first bite of the forbidden fruit, things went

from bad to worse. In the Bible account, right after the first couple

sinned, the first thing we see is how sin immediately impacted their

relationship. “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew

that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made

themselves aprons”

(Gen. 3:7). Nothing between men and women,

husbands and wives, has been the same ever since.

What should have been a source of joy, freedom, and fulfillment has

become, too often, a source of misery, oppression, and despair. Not

always (indeed, in many cases marriages are wonderful expressions of

spiritual and physical unity that helps complete a human being), but

still far too often.

This quarter we’re going to look at married couples in the Old

Testament, not so much as a study on the principles of marriage but

rather to use married couples (though in many cases the marriages

were composed of more than “couples”) as a starting point to learn

various lessons—about faith, works, obedience, hope, trust, love, and

For Better or for Worse:

Marriage was

meant to be one of

the most uplifting

and edifying aspects

of human existence.

a host of other aspects of what it means to be a follower of the Lord

in a fallen world.

It makes good sense to use marriage as a starting point, simply

because marriage is so fundamental to human existence. This rela-

tionship forms the foundation of the family, and it’s out of the family

that (for the most part) we propagate ourselves. Also, considering how

often marriage is used in the Bible as a symbol for various spiritual

truths, it seems to be a good starting point.

Of course, not everyone is married; many of the great Bible charac-

ters—Daniel, John the Baptist, and even Jesus—weren’t (maybe we

ought to do a quarter on the singles in the Bible!). Nevertheless, the

principles we can learn from studying these marriages often can be

applied to various aspects of our lives, whether married or not.

Thus, for the next few months as we explore the relationships of

various couples—Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Ruth and

Boaz, even Ahab and Jezebel, and more—we’ll seek to mine from the

Word of God practical truths that we can apply to our daily relation-

ships with one another and with the Lord, who says to His people:

“For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee:

and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God

rejoice over thee”

(Isa. 62:5).

Our two authors this quarter have been happily married for many

years. Gordon Christo is director of collegiate education of the

Southern Asia Division; his wife, Rosenita, works in the division

office. They have two grown children.

Lessons From

Old Testament Couples

Got

Questions?

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University

has answers!

Sabbath School University is a

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Sabbath School Bible Study Guide. SSU

discusses the content and strategies to

enrich your Sabbath School with

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and missions. Sabbath School leaders,

don’t miss this weekly broadcast on

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www.hopetv.org

We’re all

God’s

children.

Some of

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don’t

know

Him yet.

Your mission

offerings help to

Tell the World.

www.AdventistMission.org

L ESSON

*June 30–July 6

Adam and Eve: The

Intended Ideal

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study:

Gen. 1:26, 2:18–3:16.

Memory Text:

“For this reason a man will leave his father and

mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh”

(Genesis 2:24, NIV).

he story of Adam and Eve has a beautiful beginning but a sad

ending. God had provided for them everything good. They were

a handsome groom and a pretty bride, untainted with any

blemish in their characters or body. They lived in a beautiful garden

home with no need to worry about anything. To top it all, God even

gave them the prospect of everlasting life. The beginning of their mar-

riage was better than that of any fairy tale.

However, the ending was as far as possible from the fairy-tale end-

ing of “living happily ever after.” The story ends with Adam and Eve

losing it all—for themselves and for all other couples and individuals

to follow. It’s a powerful example of the cost of sin. We should learn

well from this story about what deviation from the will of God brings.

The Week at a Glance:

Adam and Eve, as originally cre-

ated, bore the express image of their Maker. What does that

mean? Even more so, what happened when that image was defiled

by sin? What can we learn from the sad story of their fall?

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 7.

SUNDAY

July 1

The Image of God

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He

created him; male and female He created them”

(Gen. 1:27, NKJV).

The meaning of what constitutes the “image of God” can be under-

stood partly through the clarifying statement that follows in the text—

“male and female He created them.” Male and female together reflect

the image of God. One gender complements the other and is incomplete

by itself. Male and female human beings were not meant to live sepa-

rately but to seek the other naturally. This combination of male and

female is necessary for the preservation of society and the continuity of

human history.

Many have associated God with solely the masculine gender. Though

the Hebrew word for God has a masculine plural ending and takes mas-

culine forms of the verb, the Bible also includes feminine imagery and

qualities for God.

What

feminine images for the attributes of God are used here? Deut.

32:11; Isa. 49:15, 16; 66:12, 13; Hos. 13:8; Matt. 23:37.

____________________________________________________________________

In support of this complementary nature of the genders is the idea

of the plurality in God. The pronoun used for God is in the plural:

“ ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness’ ” (Gen. 1:26, NIV).

How

might the plurality of the Godhead reflect the idea of man and

woman together reflecting the image of God?

____________________________________________________________________

Plurality in the Godhead is necessary because God is love. In order

for love to exist, there must be someone to love and someone to be

loved. Male and female in their partnership reflect this plurality. Like

God, it is natural for man and woman to be united in love. Love marks

a basic human relationship. Humans li

e to lo

e and are not complete

unless they do so, whether or not that love is expressed in a marriage

relationship. Single people can express love in other ways. After all,

Jesus was single.

How does the love expressed to us through the death of Jesus

(John 15:13) help us better understand what love is really about?

MONDAY

July 2

A Suitable Helper

Why

did the Lord make a wife for Adam? Gen. 2:18.

____________________________________________________________________

Why

was it not good for Adam to be “alone”? After all, didn’t he have

the companionship of the animals, and even God Himself?

____________________________________________________________________

Genesis 2:18–22 suggests that even though God observed the need to

create a companion for the man, He delayed creating the woman till after

all the animals were named. As we read the narrative, we feel with Adam

his increasing awareness of being alone. He could not help noticing that

as God brought animals and birds before him to be named, they came in

pairs. He gave the same name to the pair, but he had to observe that one

was male and one female. They provided companionship for each other

in a way that no other animal or bird could. In contrast, for him “no suit-

able helper was found”

(Gen. 2:20, NIV). His aloneness was glaring.

As God had created day by day, He was able to remark at the end of

the day, when He reviewed His work, that it was “good.” He also uses the

same word in the context of Adam, only in a different way. He says that

it is not “good” that the man was alone.

How

did God describe the wife He was about to make for Adam? Gen.

2:18.

____________________________________________________________________

God did not comment that He would make merely a helper to or for

Adam but one to complement him. The Hebrew literally means “like his

opposite.” His partner was not there just to be a helper—to prepare the

food, to bear children, or even to tend the garden. Eve was to be his com-

plement—his opposite, a partner in the true sense of the term. Her value

is for the person she is.

Also, the idea of a helper hardl

y denotes a per

son of lesser quality, not when the Bible often refers to God as One who

helps humankind

(see Pss. 30:10, 54:4, 121:2, Heb. 13:6).

Think about someone y

ou kno

w now who might be suffering

from loneliness. How much of yourself are you willing to give up

in order to help?

TUESDAY

July 3

Husband and Wife

In Genesis 2:23 Adam’s initial feeling upon seeing Eve was not

romance but relief. In Hebrew his first word can be translated vari-

ously as “now,” or “this time,” but the translation that fits best is “At

last!” Now, at last, here was a living being with whom he could truly

identify. She was not just his counterpart; being made from his rib, she

was a literal part of him. Matthew Henry said that the woman was “not

made out of his head to top him, nor out of his feet to be trampled

upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm

to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”

Read

1 Corinthians 11:11, 12. What important point about unity and

togetherness that should exist between husband and wife is Paul

making here?

Read

Genesis 2:24. What change in allegiance and priorities is de-

manded by this text?

____________________________________________________________________

The text is not requiring one to leave the parents’ home and join the

spouse’s family home, as is done in some societies. The spirit of the

text here requires both husband and wife to change their priorities. No

longer do parents have first claim. This is serious in cultures such as

in the Old Testament, where children were to honor their parents

throughout their lives. This, of course, should continue today, but after

marriage, loyalty is to the spouse over the parents.

Commenting on Genesis 2:24, Jesus declared that husband and wife

“ ‘are no longer two, but one’ ”

(Matt. 19:6, NIV). Husband and wife

are to be united, socially, emotionally, and spiritually, even as the

Trinity, though Three, is One. This is one way in which husband and

wife reflect the “image of God.”

If you are married, what things can you do, what attitudes do

you need to change, in order to be more closely united with your

spouse? If you’re not married, what changes do you need to

make in order to have better and closer relationships with the

people around you?

WEDNESDAY

July 4

Two Are Better Than One

Read Genesis 3:1–6. Several elements in the narrative suggest that Eve

was alone when she succumbed to the temptation. (1) The serpent

addresses only the woman. (2) Adam seems absent and is not mentioned

till Eve gives him the fruit. (3) Adam is cursed only for listening to his

wife and not for listening to the serpent.

Several versions of the Bible and certain commentaries suggest that

Adam was with Eve at the time she was tempted

(Gen. 3:6). The

Hebrew has several words that may be translated “with.” Two impor-

tant ones are etzel and im. The latter is used in this passage.

Etzel is the preposition that is used to denote location beside or next

to something. (See Gen. 39:15, 18.) By contrast, im denotes relation-

ship. “Immanuel” in Isaiah 7:14 and 8:8, 10 begins with the preposi-

tion im and means “God with us.” It is a relational position and not

geographical. Genesis 3:6 therefore does not strictly demand that we

see Adam positioned beside Eve when she is tempted. Adam used the

same preposition in Genesis 3:12 to remind God about the woman He

had put with him. It is a relational “with.” Had he been with her, she

might not have succumbed. “The angels had cautioned Eve to beware

of separating herself from her husband while occupied in their daily

labor in the garden; with him she would be in less danger from temp-

tation than if she were alone.”—Ellen G. White,

Patriarchs and

Prophets,

p. 53.

Keeping

in mind the context of today’s lesson, what’s the message

for us in the following texts:

Prov. 11:14

____________________________________________________________________

Eccles. 4:9–11

____________________________________________________________________

James 5:16

____________________________________________________________________

How have you experienced the help, protection, and good advice

of others? Ho

w willing ar

e y

ou to g

et,

or even to give, help when

needed? Bring to class an example of when the presence and/or

help of others made a big difference for you.

THURSDAY

July 5

The Curse on the Relationship

“ ‘Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over

you’ ” (Gen. 3:16, NIV).

In one stroke Adam and Eve lost everything—innocence, rulership,

immortality, Edenic home, and security. What they got in exchange

was guilt, competition with beasts, expulsion, fear, struggle for exist-

ence, death, etc. A couple in a perfectly harmonious love relationship

can bear all kinds of hardship together, but in addition to all these

other losses they suffered the disruption of their ideal relationship.

Adam would develop a tendency to dominate, and this attitude

would mar their relationship. God foresaw that some men would

extend their leadership role to subjugation by force. This was not

decreed by God. He didn’t address Adam telling him what to do; He

addressed Eve, telling her what would be a consequence of her sin.

This is contrary to the original intention of God for husband-wife rela-

tionships.

Read

1 Timothy 2:11–14. What point is Paul making, and how does

he tie this point to the Fall?

____________________________________________________________________

The Bible considers it to be the correct attitude for a woman to sub-

mit herself to her husband (1 Pet. 3:1). The illustration of Sarah obey-

ing Abraham and calling him “master” is provided as an example of

true subordination. Yet, wives are told not to give way to fear (vs. 6,

NIV). Similarly, husbands are instructed to treat their wives with love

and respect. Peter indicates that neglecting to do this “will hinder your

prayers” (vs. 7, NIV). These are instructions for a post-Fall relation-

ship.

If you have caused pain to your spouse (or anyone) through a

mistake, how can you help that aggrieved person recover? You

can’t change the past; what can you do, however, to improve the

future in regard to your relationships?

FRIDAY

July 6

Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, “The Eden Home a Pattern,”

pp. 25–28, in The Adventist Home.

“In the creation God had made her [Eve] the equal of Adam. Had

they remained obedient to God—in harmony with His great law of

love—they would ever have been in harmony with each other; but sin

had brought discord, and now their union could be maintained and

harmony preserved only by submission on the part of the one or the

other. . . . Had the principles enjoined in the law of God been cher-

ished by the fallen race, this sentence, though growing out of the

results of sin, would have proved a blessing to them; but man’s abuse

of the supremacy thus given him has too often rendered the lot of

woman very bitter and made her life a burden.”—Ellen G. White,

Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 58, 59.

Discussion Questions:

● Why is it that in homes, societies, and organizations it seems

best to have one who is first among equals—a leader, for better

functioning? What are the advantages of such an arrangement?

At the same time, what are the dangers?

● As a class, go over your responses to Wednesday’s lesson. What

can you learn from each other? Also, how do you as a class help

each other? Discuss how you could better use the advantages of

a group to help individual members who are struggling with

whatever issues they face.

● Though these lessons are in the context of marriage, what

principles can we take from what we’ve learned and apply to

other relationships?

● What does your church do to help women who are in abusive

home situations? What more could, and should, you do?

Summary:

The relationship of equality, mutual love, and respect

between Adam and Eve was intended as the ideal for all couples. How-

ever, the ideal was marred by sin, and today conflicts plague marriages.

We should strive to allow the Holy Spirit to re-create in us the original

image of God.

INSIDE

Free!

by MARADONA MAGUBA

As a soldier in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I was sent to pro-

tect the local people in an area where heavy fighting had taken place. The

people were holding evangelistic meetings, so I listened as I guarded

them.

My unit was moved to another area before the evangelistic meetings

ended. After a month of heavy fighting, I just wanted to die. I decided to

go to church before I died, but I did not know of a church nearby. Then I

heard someone broadcasting religious meetings. I followed the sound and

found the Seventh-day Adventist church. Once more I heard the message

of grace and the law.

When my unit was moved again, I found an Adventist church where I

could worship. But my commander refused to let me attend church on

Saturday. When I was caught sneaking to church, I was beaten.

I saw no way to worship in freedom, so I fled the military. I knew I could

be sent to prison if they found me, so I hid among the Pygmy people,

where I thought no one would look for me. But I was captured and taken

back to camp. There soldiers put me into a deep hole I could not climb out

of.

I am a mechanic, and one day they took me from the hole to repair their

car. I fixed the car and ran away again. This time I went to the city where

I had attended church. I found the pastor, who told me that soldiers were

searching for me, but he wanted to help me.

I stayed with the pastor for two days. Then he took me to my former

commander and arranged for my release from the military so I could work

for the church. Praise God, the commander released me. I was a free man!

I drove the truck for the church and studied the Bible. A year later I was

baptized into God’s church. Today I am truly

free—free from the military, free to serve the

Lord.

MARADONA MAGUBA

(left) shares his faith in Goma,

Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

tor

L ESSON

*July 7–July 13

Abraham and Sarah: Faith

Tested and Tried

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study:

Gen. 12:2, 16:1–5, 22,

James 2:20–26.

Memory Text:

“By faith Abraham, even though he was past

age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a

father because he considered him faithful who had made the

promise” (Hebrews 11:11, NIV).

y delaying the fulfillment of their promised child, God tested

Abraham’s and Sarah’s faith. Many New Testament authors

point to Abraham as the prime example of faith

(Romans 4 and

Hebrews 11). Later in Hebrews 11 Abraham is commended for his

faith in offering Isaac as a sacrifice. James depicts Abraham as an

example of both faith and works working together (James 2:23, 24).

Genesis presents Abraham as a God-fearing man, hospitable to

guests, magnanimous to relatives and servants, and respected by kings

and other peoples. Sarah, however, remains mostly in the background.

In the story of the near sacrifice of Isaac, where Abraham’s faith is

tested, Sarah is not even mentioned. The only times Sarah appears to

take the initiative is first in offering Hagar to Abraham and next in

insisting that the maidservant and her son Ishmael be sent away. What

can we learn from this faithful but flawed couple?

The Week at a Glance:

Though pr

aised f

or faith,

Abraham

and Sarah were time and again examples of those who actually

seemed to lack faith in God.

*Study this week’s lesson to pr

epare for Sabbath, July 14.

SUNDAY

July 8

Human Solutions for God’s Promise

This first promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:2) was not fulfilled within

a “reasonable” time, and Abraham and his wife grew quite old. The

older they got, the more serious became the matter of an heir or,

rather, the lack of one. How could God’s promises be fulfilled? Could

Abraham be excused if he sought other interpretations of the promise?

Abraham and Sarah first offered to adopt their servant Eliezer

(Gen.

15:2, 3, NIV). Some ancient Nuzi tablets, dating to before the time of

the patriarchs, shed light on the custom of a childless couple adopting

a servant or his son to inherit property. In return the adopted servant

had to ensure the adoptive parents a decent burial. The contract stated,

however, that it would not stand if the couple subsequently had their

own child. Abraham was within his legal rights to think of such a solu-

tion. It was an accepted custom.

How

does the second promise in Genesis 15:4, 5 eliminate Eliezer as

the promised heir? What more does it promise Abraham about his

offspring?

____________________________________________________________________

The next attempt to secure an heir originated from Sarah. After they

had been in Canaan ten years, she suggested that Abraham marry her

maidservant Hagar (Gen. 16:1–3). Again, some Nuzi tablets have par-

allels. The wife of a childless couple could give her slave girl to her

husband, retaining authority over any children that may result from the

union. The Nuzi contracts also state that the son borne by a slave girl

would inherit all the property unless the legal wife bore a son later. A

son born thus to Abraham would even fulfill God’s promise of “com-

ing from Abraham’s body.”

How

does the third promise, in Genesis 17:16, 19, go beyond the ear-

lier promises? How does it eliminate Ishmael as the promised

heir? Read the fourth promise, in Genesis 18:10, 14. How is it the

most specific?

____________________________________________________________________

Twenty-five years passed as Abraham and Sarah waited for the

promised heir. With each promise and with each year that passed, God

made it more e

vident that the son w

ould be a miracle child.

In the context of today’s lesson, read Genesis 15:6 and Romans

4:3. What hope can you draw from these texts?

MONDAY

July 9

Telling Lies

Though Abraham and Sarah were both children of Terah, they did

not share the same mother. When God called Abraham to leave home,

one of his concerns in facing the unknown was related to his beauti-

ful wife. Abraham could not trust the morals of the heathen, so he told

Sarah, his wife and half sister, to declare, wherever they went, that she

was his sister rather than his wife

(Gen. 20:12, 13).

What

reasons did Abraham give for asking Sarah to lie? How valid

and logical were those reasons? Why do you think he showed such

a lack of trust? See Gen. 12:11–13.

____________________________________________________________________

During periods of famine, Canaanites often went to Egypt, where

the fields were watered by the Nile. This was no trip to purchase food

but a desire to settle there for a while

(Gen. 12:10). However, escap-

ing the danger of the famine brought a new danger. Though Sarah was

in her 60s, her beauty still caused heads to turn. Abraham’s fear was

well founded. The Egyptians found her beauty striking enough to

report the matter to Pharaoh. It is difficult to imagine how Abraham

hoped to get out of this situation other than by lying.

God intervened by sending plagues upon Pharaoh

(vs. 17), and

Pharaoh lost no time in restoring Sarah to her husband and in reprov-

ing Abraham for his error. The chastised Abraham discovered that

Egyptian ethics were superior to his, and that his lack of faith in God

was unfounded.

Abraham and Sarah, however, forgot this lesson. Even though much

time had passed, or maybe because it had, they repeated this same mis-

take

(Gen. 20:2).

Have you ever found yourself in a situation in which you felt you

had to lie in order to get out of a problem? Review what hap-

pened: What was your course of action that brought you to that

situation to begin with? What w

as the r

esult of your lie? What

caused you to show such a lack of faith? What lessons did you

learn that could help you from making the same mistakes

again?

TUESDAY

July 10

Laughing at God

Read

Genesis 17:15–17. What was Abraham’s response to the prom-

ise made to him?

____________________________________________________________________

What

was his other immediate reaction to the promise? Gen. 17:18.

Why was that such a natural reaction despite God’s clear words to

him?

____________________________________________________________________

Abraham lived to be 175 years old (Gen. 25:7). Sarah died at the

age of 127 (Gen. 23:1). Their son, Isaac, lived to 180 (Gen. 35:28).

Proportionately, it could be today as though Abraham and Sarah were

in their 50s when this promise was made to them again. Not surpris-

ingly, the normally unflappable Abraham fell on his face laughing

when God repeated the promise of the child to be born to them.

A short while later three heavenly visitors came to Abraham, and

while they ate the food Sarah prepared, one of them predicted that the

promised child would be born in about a year

(Gen. 18:10). Like typi-

cal Bedouin women, Sarah had stayed out of sight but not out of hear-

ing. Just behind the entrance to the tent she laughed to herself when

she heard the prediction

(vs. 12). This was not a laugh of joy but an

element of disbelief.

Though

Sarah lied in response to the Lord’s inquiry, what was the

reason she laughed? Gen. 18:11, 12.

Paul in Romans 4:19 describes Sarah’s womb as dead. Indeed, she

was from a purely physical standpoint way past childbearing age.

When questioned, she tried to cover her disbelief with a lie. The lie did

not do its work, and the matter closed on that uncomfortable note.

When the promised child was born, as instructed by God, Abraham

named him Isaac, which means “he laughs”

(Gen. 17:19). The word

Yitzhak means what it sounds like—a loud, explosive laugh. Sarah

added, “ ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about

this will laugh with me’ ” (Gen. 21:6, NIV).

Write a paragr

aph a

bout what you believe is the most impor-

tant lesson for us in this account of Abraham and Sarah. Bring

your response to class on Sabbath.

WEDNESDAY

July 11

Trouble Because of Unbelief

“Then Sarai said to Abram, ‘You are responsible for the wrong

I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she

knows she is pregnant, she despises me’ ”

(Gen. 16:5, NIV; see also

Gen. 16:1–6, 21:8–13, Gal. 4:21–31).

Of the Nuzi tablets referred to earlier, one of them has a close paral-

lel with the Abraham-Hagar episode. Kelim-ninu is given in marriage

to Shennima. The contract states that if Kelim-ninu is barren, she is to

take the initiative in obtaining a slave girl for Shennima. Any children

the slave girl bears will come under the authority of Kelim-ninu.

Among the gifts that Pharaoh lavished on Abraham and Sarah in

Egypt were menservants and maidservants (Gen. 12:16). Hagar, her

personal maidservant, was an Egyptian and may have been one of

those given them by Pharaoh.

When

Hagar realized she was pregnant, she belittled her mistress.

How was this attitude emulated by her son? Gen. 21:9.

____________________________________________________________________

Sarah was the first to realize her mistake in giving her maidservant to

be a concubine. This became a thorn in their relationship, and it brought

grief to all of them. Ishmael was about seventeen when Isaac was

weaned (about three). The occasion that sidelined him caused Ishmael

to mock (the Hebrew word is

metzahek) Isaac. Not a happy laugh but a

derisive one. Sarah sensed his presence as a threat and insisted that the

slave mother and son be dismissed. God concurred (Gen. 21:12).

While

Paul does not name Sarah and Hagar, it is obvious that he

refers to them in the New Testament. What does he use these

women to symbolize? Gal. 4:21–31.

____________________________________________________________________

Paul further adds that those who attempt to gain salvation by works

are in spiritual bondage and tend to persecute those who rely on faith

and grace for their salv

ation and w

ho are free.

What day-by-da

y things can y

ou do to incr

ease y

our trust in

God and thus avoid the kind of disastrous decisions that unbe-

lief can lead to?

THURSDAY

July 12

Ultimate Demonstration of Faith

Read

Genesis 22. What great lesson about faith, and the cost of faith,

can you take out of this story?

____________________________________________________________________

Canaanites practiced child sacrifice for centuries. Molech and

Chemosh, the national gods of the Ammonites and the Moabites,

required that children be offered to them in a fire. Assyrians around

800

B.C. offered children to the god Adramelech. Though revolting,

the custom does reveal commitment. No parent can easily give up a

child to be burnt. Yet the practice must be seen as selfish, for it sacri-

fices the life of a helpless child for the gain of the parents. Mesha,

king of Moab, offered his heir to the throne when he faced defeat in

battle

(2 Kings 3:27).

The Israelites would be faced with this custom as they prepared to

enter the Promised Land. Read in Leviticus 18:21 the specific instruc-

tion of God regarding this practice. Note in 2 Kings 16:3 the extent of

the practice in Israel and Judah.

Abraham could well have been smug in his confidence that his God

would never require him to do what his pagan neighbors did in their

devotion to false gods. His son was the gift from God. Imagine his

shock when God actually instructed him to sacrifice his son; imagine

how he must have felt about the prospect of coming home to Sarah

with the blood of their son on his hands! However, Abraham knew the

voice of God and trusted Him. In fact, he informs his servants that

“ ‘we will come back to you’ ”

(Gen. 22:5, NIV), reasoning that God

could raise him from the dead (Heb. 11:19).

James uses Abraham as an example of faith and works. James 2:22

makes the key point, how works and faith go together.

We’re not all called upon to make such great sacrifices for the

Lord. But we do need to make them anyway. Look at how you’ve

lived your life during the past year. What kind of choices have

you made? Are they choices that reflect an attitude of surrender

to God? If not,

hat chang

es m

ust you make?

FRIDAY

July 13

Further Study:

Ellen G. White, “The Test of Faith,” pp. 145–155,

in Patriarchs and Prophets.

“This was not the first occasion on which Abraham had passed

Sarah off as his sister. It would almost seem to have been his usual

practice, but that heretofore Egypt had been the only place where the

ruse caused trouble. Years of success in employing the same decep-

tion, since that bitter experience with Pharaoh, had made Abraham

forgetful of its lesson of strict rectitude. . . .

“However that may be, the time for the birth of the promised seed

was rapidly approaching . . . and Satan took advantage of Abraham’s

weakness to thwart the divine plan.”—

The SDA Bible Commentary,

vol. 1, p. 341.

“We need the faith of Abraham in our day, to lighten the darkness

that gathers around us, shutting out the sweet sunlight of God’s love,

and dwarfing spiritual growth. Our faith should be prolific of good

works; for faith without works is dead.”—Ellen G. White, The Faith I

Live By, p. 115.

Discussion Questions:

● As a class, go over your answers to Tuesday’s final question.

What can you learn from one another?

● As a class, share your thoughts on the fact that despite their

faults, mistakes, and lack of judgment, Abraham and Sarah are

held up as examples of faith. What hope does that present that

you could use to encourage those who feel, perhaps, that their

failures are too much and that God has rejected them?

● Have those who are willing talk about a time when they had to

make a great sacrifice for God. What can you learn from their

experiences?

● The mistake with Hagar brought a great amount of grief to

the family. How can you help any families you know now who are

suffering because of mistakes made by the parents?

Summary:

Abraham’s and Sarah’s deficiency in faith is highlighted

by the duplication of their errors in offering substitute heirs, lying, and

laughing. They were not perfect humans, but they loved God and fol-

lowed His commands. Ultimately, they are examples of great faith.

INSIDE

Good Life From Bad

Maria Medina grew up in Chile with an abusive father. She had to quit

school at age 15 to work. The next year her mother fled home, taking

Maria with her. When Maria became pregnant at 18, she preferred to raise

the child alone rather than take a chance that the baby’s father might

become the same abusive kind of man that her father had been. She shared

a small apartment with her new baby, her mother, and her brother. They

managed the best they could.

When she was 21, an Adventist neighbor gave her some literature about

God and offered to study the Bible with her. Maria loved reading the

Bible. For the first time in her life she realized that God loves her. She

began attending the Seventh-day Adventist church and was overjoyed with

her new relationship with God.

As she learned of the power of forgiveness, she realized that she must

forgive her father for what he had done to her and the family. His alco-

holism had stolen everything the family had worked so hard for, and he

still drank. She prayed about going back for months before she felt strong

enough to go. Then she confronted her father. “Father,” she said, “I forgive

you for what you have done to me and to our family. I want to live with-

out hate in my heart, so I forgive you.”

“How can you forgive me for what I have done to you and your

mother?” he sobbed. Then he told her he had tried to stop drinking, but

had not yet broken the habit, though he was drinking far less than when

the family lived with him.

Maria’s mother and brother are deaf. She has shared her faith with them,

but it has been difficult for them to make friends in the church. Eventually,

however, they accepted the Adventist faith and joined the church.

Maria rejoices that God has brought so much good into her life, a life

that started out so badly. She loves to share

her faith with others.

Mission offerings provide materials and

evangelistic outreach to lead people such as

Maria to Christ. Thank you.

MARIA MEDIN

(left) lives in southern Chile

, where she

shares her faith with all who will listen.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

tor

L ESSON

*July 14–July 20

Isaac and Rebekah: Rearing

Rivals

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study:

Genesis 26–28.

Memory Text:

“ ‘May God Almighty bless you, And make you

fruitful and multiply you, that you may be an assembly of peoples’ ”

(Genesis 28:3, NKJV).

saac and Rebekah duplicated many events of Abraham’s and

Sarah’s lives. (1) Isaac laid claim to the covenant promises that had

been made by God to Abraham. (2) Both Sarah and Rebekah were

barren an unreasonably long time. (3) Both families endured disputes

about ownership of wells with local people among whom they had

been instructed by God to live. (4) Both Abraham and Isaac took their

families to a foreign land to ride out a famine. (5) Abraham informed

the people of Gerar that Sarah, his wife, was his half sister. Isaac told

the same people, a generation later, that Rebekah, his wife, was his

sister. (6) Both families had to deal with sibling rivalry.

At the same time, too, Isaac and Rebekah had a lot going for them

in their marriage and home. Too bad some wrong choices were made,

choices that led to painful consequences for the whole family.

Let’s learn what we can from their mistakes, in hopes of not doing

the same thing ourselves.

The Week at a Glance:

However different their environ-

ment from ours, we can learn some good spiritual lessons from the

story of this dysfunctional family.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 21.

SUNDAY

July 15

The Arrangement

Read

Genesis 24 and then answer the following questions:

1. Why would Abraham be so adamant that his son not take a

wife from among the Canaanites?

____________________________________________________________________

2. What was the key to the servant’s success in finding the right

woman for Isaac?

____________________________________________________________________

3. What do we learn from this story about the character and

faith of Rebekah? How might these attributes have contributed to

making her the right choice for Isaac?

____________________________________________________________________

Sarah had been dead three years when Abraham called his trusted serv-

ant, probably Eliezer of Damascus, to whom he had thought to bequeath

his estate

(Gen. 15:2). Though Abraham would live another 35 years, he

was an old man at this time. Isaac had reached the age of 40 and needed

a wife to carry on the covenant line. A messenger had earlier reported to

Abraham that Nahor, his brother, and his wife, Milcah, had been blessed

with eight sons (Gen. 22:20–24). Now Abraham instructed his servant to

fetch a wife for Isaac from among those relatives.

Of course, there was always the outside chance that the girl would

be unwilling to accompany him back to a strange land, and Eliezer

needed clear instruction how to proceed if that turned out to be the

case. If so, he would be released from the oath. Under no circum-

stances was Isaac to leave the land that God had covenanted to them.

Abraham picked his agent well; the servant was determined to do

God’s will in such an important matter.

It’s one thing to sa

I w

ant to lea

e ev

erything in God’

s hands

regarding important matters;

it’s another to actually do this.

Next time you face an important decision, what practical steps

can you take in or

der to place yourself in a position where you

can discern God’s will and be surrendered enough to accept it?

MONDAY

July 16

Jacob and Esau

Rebekah, unlike Sarah, had no rival wives or concubines to contend

with, and no stepchildren to compete with. Theirs should have been a

happy home. Yet, even in this “ideal” situation, strife arose.

Read

the story of Esau and Jacob in Genesis 25:19–34. In what ways

were the parents to blame for the strife that arose among the

brothers?

____________________________________________________________________

the birth of those boys, the Lord gave Rebekah a message about

their future. What was that message, and what do we see in the

story about the character of these boys that helps explain their

fate?

____________________________________________________________________

What we see in this story isn’t God’s

determining the future but sim-

ply predicting it. It was the choices of the boys that led to their fate,

not God’s predestination of that fate for them.

The sale of the birthright confirms that Esau is disinterested in spir-

itual matters; his actions certainly revealed him unfit to be the spir-

itual leader of the clan.

Jacob, on the other hand, is farsighted. He desires the spiritual lead-

ership, is cunning enough to trick his brother out of it, and even gets

the transaction sealed by an oath. Esau eats and goes away, not the

least bothered about what he has given up.

“Because of his indifference to the divine blessings and require-

ments, Esau is called in Scripture ‘a profane person.’ . . . He represents

those who lightly value the redemption purchased for them by Christ,

and are ready to sacrifice their heirship to heaven for the perishable

things of earth. Multitudes live for the present, with no thought or care

for the future. Like Esau they cry, ‘Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow

we die.’ 1 Corinthians 15:32.”—Ellen G. White,

Patriarchs and

Prophets, pp. 181, 182.

How seriously do you take the redemption you have in Christ?

How can you be careful not to sell it for a bowl of porridge? Why

is that easier to do than one might think?

TUESDAY

July 17

The Birthright—Content and Context

of the Contest

The events in Genesis 26 surely took place before those in chapter 25.

Isaac could not have hoped to pass Rebekah off as his sister if they had

twins. The repetitions of the Abrahamic covenant to Isaac clarify what

exactly Jacob bargained with Esau for. These promises are what Jacob

hoped to inherit. This was a spiritual heritage with a serious responsi-

bility. This is the privilege that Esau despised and Jacob coveted.

What

promises in the Abrahamic covenant were confirmed to Isaac?

Gen. 26:4.

These promises were not easy to believe. Isaac and Rebekah had no

children yet—but these children would become as numerous as the

stars? They were nomads wandering from country to country—but

God would give them “all these lands”? (Gen. 26:4, NKJV).

Note

the similarities in the experience of Isaac and Rebekah and

Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 20, 21, and 26.

Name of the place (20:1, 26:1) ______________________________

Name of the king (20:2, 26:1) ______________________________

Lying about (20:2, 26:7) ___________________________________

Explanation for lie (20:11, 26:9) ____________________________

Remonstrance because of the lie (20:9, 26:10) _________________

The Lord has just appeared to Isaac and given to him a wonderful

promise. Isaac now knows not only the reality of God but His prom-

ises. He should have been a man of faith, trusting in God’s ability to

fulfill those promises. (After all, when was the last time God

“appeared” to any of us and spoke to us?) Yet, soon afterward we see

Isaac resorting to lies.

Maybe because of the promise, that he would have a great seed,

Isaac lied to protect himself from death. What lesson can we

learn from this story about how easy it is to show lack of trust

in God?

WEDNESDAY

July 18

Stealing the Blessing

Read

Genesis 27 and then answer the following questions:

1. Why did Jacob show some hesitancy in perpetrating this fraud

on his father? What does that reason say about his character?

2. What were the material advantages that came with the blessing?

How might that have explained each one’s desire for it?

3. What did Isaac do that showed he had his suspicions? What rea-

sons might he have had for them?

4. What reasons did Rebekah have for instigating this deception?

In the opening verses of Genesis 27 Isaac has two thoughts: (1) he

is getting old and needs to pass on his blessing, and (2) his mouth is

watering for some tasty food. Here we encounter a play on words.

While Esau sold his bekorah (birthright) for a bowl of lentils, Isaac

will give his berakah (blessing) in exchange for some venison.

Rebekah will try to get the berakah for her favorite son.

We could defend Rebekah. After all, she is fighting the unjust insti-

tution of the blessing by which one child gets everything and the other

nothing

(Gen. 27:37). This is especially unfair in the case of twins.

Maybe she thought she was carrying out the will of God, who had pre-

dicted the dominance of the younger. Maybe she knew, as Isaac must

have known, that Esau was unsuited for the birthright and the bless-

ings that came with it but that Jacob possessed those necessary qual-

ities.

In the end, everyone suffered because of the deception. What

lessons can we learn from this story about the consequences of

our actions? Take heed. Watch and pray before you act!

THURSDAY

July 19

Wives and the Covenant

When Esau was 40, he got married (Gen. 26:34, 35). The problem

was not just that Easu married two wives. Polygamy existed as early

as the time of Lamech (Gen. 4:23). Abraham had several wives, and

Jacob himself would end up in polygamy. The main problem was that

Esau’s wives were Hittites and probably not worshipers of Yahweh.

Bringing outside blood into the family was risky. But Abraham, too,

had brought in Hagar, an Egyptian, and thought to make her son his

heir. The worst problem, however, was that the Hittite daughters-in-

law of Isaac and Rebekah endangered the worship of Yahweh among

their descendants, possibly insisting on worshiping their own gods.

Since they were two, it may have been easier to get their way. This

threat is what must have caused grief to Isaac and Rebekah. Keeping

their sons’ marriages within the family would have served to protect

the Abrahamic covenant.

How

did Rebekah use this issue as an excuse to get Jacob out of angry

Esau’s reach?

Gen. 27:46–28:5.

____________________________________________________________________

Isaac readil

y agreed to the plan, and he himself charged Jacob,

instructing him to go quickly. The earlier blessing Jacob had stolen

from Esau said nothing about the covenant blessings. Now, as Jacob

prepared to leave, Isaac gave him the blessing he wanted all along.

What

were the blessings given to Jacob? Gen. 28:3, 4. How did these

differ from the blessings given to Esau?

____________________________________________________________________

Before Isaac gave Jacob the covenant blessings, he specifically

charged him not to take a wife from among the Canaanites but to get

one from among their own clan. It was afterward that he gave him the

promised blessings. Could there have been a link between this admo-

nition and the b

lessings? If so, w

hat?

What promises of God are especially important to you? At the

same time, ask yourself, How can I make the kind of choices

that will allow these pr

omises to be fulfilled in my life?

FRIDAY

July 20

Further Study:

Ellen G. White, “A United Front,” pp. 312–316, in

The Adventist Home.

“What a contrast between the course of Isaac and that pursued by

the youth of our time, even among professed Christians! Young peo-

ple too often feel that the bestowal of their affections is a matter in

which self alone should be consulted—a matter that neither God nor

their parents should in any wise control. Long before they have reached

manhood or womanhood, they think themselves competent to make

their own choice, without the aid of their parents. A few years of mar-

ried life are usually sufficient to show them their error, but often too

late to prevent its baleful results. For the same lack of wisdom and

self-control that dictated the hasty choice is permitted to aggravate the

evil, until the marriage relation becomes a galling yoke. Many have

thus wrecked their happiness in this life and their hope of the life to

come.”—Ellen G. White, The Adventist Home, p. 80.

Discussion Questions:

● Think about all the strife and suffering that could have been

avoided had Rebekah and Isaac made wiser choices. What prin-

ciples did they violate, and what can we learn from their mistakes

that could help protect our homes from unneeded suffering?

● There’s a certain irony in the attitudes and actions of Rebekah.

She was upset that Esau had married foreign women, because

they could lead him away from the true God. And yet she was the

one who pushed Jacob into this horrible deception. What kind of

inconsistency do we see there? In what ways can we be in danger

of doing something similar?

See also Matt. 23:23.

● Is there someone you know who is facing an important deci-

sion? If so, what can you as a class do to give that person the best

possible guidance? What can you do to help that person discern

the will of God in making that choice?

Summary:

Isaac and Rebekah could have avoided much trouble in

their home if they had followed principles of truth and honesty. God

had spoken, and they should have trusted Him and cooperated with

Him.

INSIDE

Faithful Friend

by HANS OLSON

Setsuko and Meiko have been friends for 15 years, ever since Setsuko,

a literature evangelist, knocked on Meiko’s door and offered her a sub-

scription to

Signs of the Times

. Meiko liked the magazine and subscribed.

She also bought some books. Meiko’s daughter began attending a branch

Sabbath School program.

When Meiko’s family moved to be near her husband’s parents, Setsuko

stayed in touch with her. Meiko continued to read the magazines and

books.

As the wife of the eldest son in Japanese culture, Meiko felt compelled

to respect her mother-in-law’s Shinto religion. Meiko accompanied her

mother-in-law to worship in the shrines, but Meiko wanted to find mean-

ing in her own life. As Meiko searched, Setsuko remained a faithful friend.

Meiko was not free to pursue Christianity at this time, but she continued

reading

Signs of the Times

and sought out other books to help her resolve

the conflicts in her life and bring her peace. In time she found the God she

was seeking.

Eventually Meiko’s family returned to Yokohama, and Meiko and Setsuko

reconnected in person. Setsuko invited Meiko to attend meetings at her

church. Far from her mother-in-law, Meiko finally felt she could attend a

Christian church. As Meiko sat in the church, she whispered to her friend,

“At last I am home.” For 15 years Meiko had struggled to find meaning,

and at last she had found what she was searching for.

Meiko praised God that her husband did not resist her desire to be a

Christian. But now Meiko faced a new problem: As a faithful daughter-in-

law, she could not keep her faith in God a secret from her mother-in-law.

But how could she tell her without hurting her? Meiko gently explained

her new religious experience to her mother-in-law, who listened carefully.

Meiko apologized for letting her mother-in-law down. She worried that

her in-laws would disown her following her revelation of faith in Christ.

But her mother-in-law wished Meiko well. Their relationship has become

closer than it ever had been. They respect each other’s religion.

When Meiko was baptized, she asked her friend Setsuko to be her spir-

itual guardian.

Your mission offerings help bring the hope of Jesus to hearts chained by

culture and superstition. Thank you.

SETSUKO IWAI

and

SEINO (MEIK

) KA

TSUMA

live in

okohama, w

her

e the

y continue to

share their love for God with others. Hans Olson is managing editor of

Mission.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

tor

L ESSON

*July 21–July 27

Jacob and Rachel:

Labor

of Love

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study:

Gen. 29:1–31:16.

Memory Text:

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also

loved the church, and gave himself for it”

(Ephesians 5:25).

gainst the backdrop of an Old Testament culture in which mar-

riages were arranged by the parents, Jacob and Rachel stand

out as an example of a love marriage. Esau also had selected

his own wives, but he is not recorded as “loving” them. In a case simi-

lar to Jacob’s, Moses married the daughter of one with whom he took

refuge, but again, he is not stated to have fallen in love with her. Thus,

Jacob’s love for Rachel must have been extraordinary to warrant

repeated mention. His love has acquired legendary status probably for

good reason.

Yet, the marriage of Jacob and Rachel does not end with the “hap-

pily ever after” style. When he left Padanaram 20 years after he got

there, Jacob had acquired great wealth in terms of flocks and herds.

But their relationship underwent many trials and troubles. Though

conditions were not always ideal, their love never suffered. Their

strong love, it seems, enabled them to endure all difficulties. Rachel’s

early death did not diminish Jacob’s love for her children but rather

heightened it.

The Week at a Glance:

Of all the lessons we can learn from

this couple, perhaps the most important one is that our actions and

mistakes have consequences that go far beyond ourselves.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 28.

SUNDAY

July 22

Marrying Within the Faith

We left off with Isaac and Rebekah sending off Jacob, to keep him

from marrying outside the faith and to get him away from his angry

brother. Esau had sworn that as soon as Isaac was dead, he would kill

Jacob for stealing his blessing

(Gen. 27:41). We also left off noting

that Isaac began the covenant blessing by telling Jacob not to marry

from the Canaanites but to take a wife from his own clan.

When

you consider the covenant blessing (see Gen. 28:1–4), why was

the choice of the right wife important for the blessing to be ful-

filled?

Marrying within the faith is so important to the patriarchs that the

problem of marrying within the family is overlooked. Abraham is mar-

ried to his half sister, Isaac to his cousin, and now Jacob is instructed

by Isaac to seek a wife from among the daughters of Laban—his own

cousins. Abraham had strictly instructed his trusted servant not to get

a wife for Isaac from among the Canaanites

(Gen. 24:3). Esau also

realized how offensive his pagan wives were to Isaac, so he went and

married yet another wife—the daughter of his uncle Ishmael.

What

evidence can we find from the wickedness that helped bring the

Flood that could help us understand why marrying “out of the

faith” was deemed so bad? See Gen. 6:1–5.

Some believe that the wickedness was in angels’ marrying humans.

But Jesus said that angels do not marry

(Mark 12:25). Others see the

wickedness here as polygamy as practiced by dynastic rulers among

the descendants of Cain. Lamech is an example of one

(Gen. 4:19).

One would wonder why polygamy would be condemned so indirectly.

The interpretation easiest to understand is that godly descendants,

“the sons of God,” were intermarrying with the “daughters of men,”

those who weren’t the Lord’s followers, and this was terrible in God’s

sight.

Second Corinthians 6:14 gi

es a principle that should be heeded

not only in marriage but in other activities, as well. Inevitably,

however, most of us are, at one time or another, “yoked” with

unbelievers. What principles should we keep in mind when

faced with these situations?

MONDAY

July 23

Working and Waiting

Read

Genesis 29:1–15. From what we can tell in the text, how pure

were Laban’s motives toward Jacob, at least at first?

____________________________________________________________________

Whatever his motives were to start, eventually Laban saw in Jacob

a bargain. He’d eventually have to marry his daughters off anyway;

why not get what he could for a dowry?

Dowry in the Old Testament takes several forms. It appears that the

bride’s father gave a maidservant to his daughter at the time of marriage.

Thus Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel acquired maidservants (Gen.

16:1; 24:61; 29:24, 29). However, the groom, too, was expected to give

gifts to the bride’s family. Abraham’s servant gave gold and silver jewelry

and expensive clothes to Rebekah and other costly gifts to her mother

and brother Laban. In contrast, Jacob had arrived penniless and had noth-

ing to offer except labor, and he offered to work seven years for Rachel.

Read

Genesis 29:15–30. What was behind such treachery? What does

that tell us about the power of greed to override honesty and

decency?

____________________________________________________________________

How

did Laban justify his act? (Gen. 29:26). Why was that such a

lame excuse?

____________________________________________________________________

As the local man, Laban would have the support of the town’s peo-

ple. Jacob was the refugee. As the employer, Laban had Jacob at his

mercy. At the end of seven years he had paid nothing yet. Most of all,

Jacob’s love for Rachel held him captive to Laban. He thus had no

option but to submit meekly to the treachery. We see only a mild

protest from the helpless y

oung man. He had to w

ork another seven

years for Rachel, but he was eventually allowed to marry her.

Look again at Laban’s excuse. In what ways do we need to be care-

ful of doing the same thing; that is,

using the excuse of customs or

traditions (or an

ything,

eall

y) in or

der to justify unjust acts?

TUESDAY

July 24

Family Strife

Read

Genesis 29:28–30:24 and then answer these questions:

1. In what ways was this family making the same marital mistakes

as their ancestors?

____________________________________________________________________

2. In what ways were the strife and envy between the women mani-

fested?

____________________________________________________________________

3. How did Jacob’s actions make matters worse?

____________________________________________________________________

The competition between the two sisters led to them giving their

maidservants to Jacob to bear sons for them. When Rachel’s maid-

servant bore her second son, Rachel declared, “ ‘I have had a great

struggle with my sister, and I have won’ ” (Gen. 30:8, NIV). Rachel

had said to Jacob, “ ‘Give me children, or I’ll die’ ” (vs. 1, NIV). These

words proved ironic, as Rachel finally died in childbirth (Gen. 35:16–

18). When she finally bore a son, she named him Joseph, meaning

“may he add,” saying, “ ‘May the Lord add to me another son’ ” (Gen.

30:24, NIV). Tragically, the birth of her second son killed her.

Notice the words of Rachel to Jacob in Genesis 30:1 and the des-

peration that they reveal. When was the last time you were in a

desperate situation that only God could solve? How did you

react? What lessons did you learn that could help you if some-

thing similar were to happen again?

______________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

WEDNESDAY

July 25

Jacob’s Leaving

Review

what we’ve read so far about this family. What were the sins

and mistakes that each person made? What does this tell us about

how belief alone, even in the true God, isn’t enough to change our

lives the way that God would have them changed?

See 2 Cor. 7:1.

____________________________________________________________________

Though not graphic, this story of Laban and Jacob and his wives is

sordid enough. Each character is guilty in his or her own way. Even

Jacob, the patriarch, a follower of the true God, is hardly much of a rep-

resentative of that God. This is just another biblical account of how far

humans have fallen and how desperately in need of grace we all are.

Based

on Genesis 30:25–31:16, how would you answer the following

questions?

1. What caused Laban’s attitude toward Jacob to change? What

lesson is there for us?

____________________________________________________________________

2. What are some of the good characteristics found in Jacob?

____________________________________________________________________

3. What was Laban’s daughters’ attitude toward their father? Was

it justified?

____________________________________________________________________

Even amid all this deceit,

trick

ery

passion,

jealousy, favoritism,

and on and on, the Lord was there, working out His plan despite

human foibles. At the same time, how much better this story

could have been had people loved God first and one another as

themselves. As y

ou g

o a

bout y

our daily business, in what ways

can you consciously seek to live as God would have you live, thus

avoiding much needless pain?

THURSDAY

July 26

Playing Favorites

Read

Genesis 29:30. What recipe for family disaster is found in this

verse?

____________________________________________________________________

No question, God was working in the life of Jacob, even despite his

faults. Yet, those faults weren’t minor; they brought pain and suffering

not only upon himself but upon his loved ones. When will we learn to

think before we act, to contemplate the possible results of the choices

we make? How many of us would love to turn back the clock and do

things differently? Unfortunately, we can’t. All we can do is try not to

make the same mistakes in the future.

Of all the mistakes Jacob made, one of the worst was the favoritism

he showed toward Rachel. Sure, Leah wasn’t the one he wanted, but

he was still married to her, and he didn’t seem to mind bearing all

these children with her either.

Read

Genesis 33:1–3. What example of favoritism toward Rachel did

he show there?

____________________________________________________________________

Even after Rachel died, Jacob continued to show his favoritism to

the children he bore with her. Joseph was the recipient of the coat of

many colors (Gen. 37:3), and Benjamin was the one held back by the

father as the others went to buy grain from Egypt (Gen. 42:4), even

though he already had ten other sons (Gen. 46:21).

There’s no doubt that this blatant favoritism brought a great deal of

suffering to the family. If only Jacob had lived according to the prin-

ciples of the God he followed, how much better his life would have

been. It’s a lesson that applies to all of us, as well. How careful we

need to be in the relationships we form.

Of course, most of us don’

t have to deal with the complications

arising from polygamous marriages, but we all need to be care-

ful in how we treat others. No doubt Leah and eventually the

children she bore were all pained by Jacob’s actions. What can

you do to be mor

e car

eful in dealing with the feelings of others

who are dependent upon your love and affection?

FRIDAY

July 27

Further Study:

“Rachel,” pp. 924, 925, in the Seventh-day

Adventist Bible Dictionary;

also read Ellen G. White, “Jacob’s Flight

and Exile,” pp. 183–194, in Patriarchs and Prophets.

“Preach in your lives the practical godliness of the faith that you

believe. Let it be seen that the truth never degrades the receiver, mak-

ing him rough and coarse, or fretful and impatient. Make apparent to

all your patience, your kindness, your long-suffering, gentleness,

compassion, and true goodness; for these graces are the expression of

the character of the God whom you serve.”—Ellen G. White,

Evangelism, p. 400.

Discussion Questions:

● Talk about the question of being unequally yoked with unbe-

lievers. How are we as Christians to act when we face this situa-

tion? What can we learn from one another’s experiences?

● What advice would you give to someone who was thinking

about marrying outside the faith?

● We can learn a lot from the story this week about how not to

act. What principles can we learn from what we’ve read that can

help us better avoid the kind of mistakes that this family made?

● Greed is a powerful passion within the human heart. What

ways can we protect ourselves from being swept up by it?

● If a couple in your class has been married a long time, have

them explain what the keys are to a happy marriage. What are

the principles? What must couples never do? What should they

always do? How can we apply those principles (when applicable)

to other areas of our lives?

Summary:

Yes, they were a dysfunctional family by all accounts.

Their actions all came with bad consequences, too. How important

that we learn from their mistakes and not follow the principles of

greed and selfishness and jealousy that brought so much heartache.

INSIDE

Watching God Work: Part 1

The break-up of communism in Eastern Europe left many people des-

perate to earn enough money to live. Maria, like many others, sought work

in another country. Though she has a teaching degree, she works for a fam-

ily in the Middle East, cleaning, cooking, and caring for a child. Although

such workers are paid little by the country’s standards, it is good money

for Maria.

Maria and other Adventist women have found that their new jobs,

though menial and seldom praised, afford them a rare opportunity to share

their faith. “We—my Adventist sisters and I—are amazed when we think

of how God is leading us,” she says. “We enter into the homes of wealthy

and influential people in this country, care for their homes and children.

And even though we do not speak the language of our hosts well, by our

lives we can influence people who would never open their door and allow

us to share our faith and tell them of God’s love.

“People in this country do not want to know about Christians or their

God, so we cannot preach to them. But they see God in our lives, and God

perfor

ms miracles and opens their hearts to our message. Somehow they

sense that we are not like other Christians. We don’t drink or smoke, and

we keep the Sabbath. Many times they tell us, “You are like Muslims; you

are very close to us.”

In the family for which Maria works, the extended family often gathers

for dinner. After they eat, they sit and talk politics and have a drink. One

evening as the men talked, Maria’s boss asked her to serve them some

drinks. Maria gently told her boss that she could not serve the drinks.

Suddenly the room became quiet, and 25 faces looked at her. Her boss was

surprised by her refusal, and she, too, was embarrassed.

Then Maria felt a power in herself and told her boss, “I do not serve

alcohol because I do not drink alcohol. It is forbidden by Allah. And the

things I do not take part in, I do not offer to others.” Her employer nod-

ded. She left the room, wondering whether she would be reprimanded or,

worse, fired.

(Continued next week)

MARIA

lives and shares her faith in the Middle East.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

tor

L ESSON

*July 28–August 3

Moses and Zipporah:

Relating With

Relations

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read

for This W

eek’

s Study:

Exodus 2–4, 18:1–27, Num.

12:1–4.

Memory Text:

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, re-

fused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather

to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleas-

ures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:24, 25).

oses is one of the best known of all Old Testament charac-

ters; Zipporah, his wife, is one of the lesser known. Being a

foreigner and from a despised nation, she obviously

remained as much in the background as possible. However, as we’ll

soon see, she turned out to be a faithful wife who remained with

Moses during the trials of the Exodus. At the same time, his marriage

to her brought Jethro into the family of Moses, and this turned out to

be a great blessing, not just to Moses but to the children of Israel as a

whole. Though we can learn many lessons from their story, perhaps

the most important one is this: The right family relations can be won-

derful; the wrong ones, unfortunately, can bring terrible results.

The Week at a Glance:

When Zippor

ah married Moses, she

had no idea what she was getting into.Yet, she and her family were

a great help to Moses and aided him in his di

vine mission. This

week we’ll see just what blessings a good wife and good in-laws

can bring.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 4.

SUNDAY

July 29

Chivalry at the Well

Like Jacob centuries earlier, Moses, after hiking a few hundred

miles, arrived at a settlement in the wilderness, which revolved around

a well. Both had run for their lives—Jacob from his brother Esau and

Moses from Pharaoh. What a difference, though, in the reasons for

their flight!

Why

did Moses flee? Exod. 2:11–15. What does this incident tell us about

his character? What does this tell us about his allegiance to his

own people, despite his great privileges in the house of another

nation?

____________________________________________________________________

Read

Exodus 2:15–17 (see also Acts 7:23–29). From what we know about

the character of Moses, why were his actions at the well not

surprising?

____________________________________________________________________

Sitting by the well, Moses observed that rough shepherds had not

merely chased away the seven daughters of Jethro but had waited till

the daughters had drawn water for their flock and then drove them

away so that they could water their own sheep with that water

(Exod.

2:17). Moses, apparently, could not bear to see injustice. This is what

had gotten him into trouble in Egypt.

According to Exodus 2:19, the daughters described Moses to their

father as an “Egyptian,” probably on the basis of his dress, which

showed the degree that the culture had influenced Moses. Moses was

not only alone but clearly a foreigner. Though the text doesn’t say how,

he was obviously able to wield enough power and authority to drive

the shepherds away.

Reuel, another name for Jethro

(see Exod. 2:18, 3:1), chides the

girls for not inviting their hero in for supper. Zipporah, probably the

eldest, is promised to Moses in marriage, and in return Moses takes

charge of his father-in-law’s flock, just as Jacob did for Laban cen-

turies earlier (Exod. 3:1).

It was one of Moses’ own people who endangered his life. What

does this tell us about how careful we need to be with those who

are closest to us, lest we inadvertently hurt them?

MONDAY

July 30

Moses and His Father-in-Law

Moses’ father-in-law is referred to by at least two names—Reuel

(Exod. 2:18) and Jethro (Exod. 3:1). However, Reuel means “friend of

God” and could be a title that he held as a priest. There are several

examples of Old Testament characters having more than one name

(Esau/Edom, Jacob/Israel).

Jethro’s immediate response to the report of Moses’ chivalry was to

chide his daughters for leaving behind such a man. He bade them

invite him for a meal. Moses, on his part, was happy to stay with such

a man; indeed, he spent 40 peaceful years in his home.

Read

carefully Moses’ words to his father-in-law about his returning

to Egypt (Exod. 4:18). What reasons does he give; what reasons

does he not give? Was he being dishonest?

____________________________________________________________________

Jethro doesn’t appear in the Bible again until Exodus 18:1–12.

Imagine the surprise he must have had. His son-in-law leaves on what

was supposed to be a family visit and comes back the leader of sev-

eral million people! He was obviously impressed by what happened

and gave praise and sacrifice to the Lord (vss. 10–12). How much

Jethro knew about the Lord is not known; however impressed, he

apparently still believed in the existence of other gods (vs. 11).

Read

over Exodus 18. What evidence do we find here of Moses’

great respect for his father-in-law, despite whatever theological

weaknesses the man had? What evidence of the great wisdom of

Jethro do we see here?

____________________________________________________________________

How interesting that it was his father-in-law, someone not even of

Moses’ own blood, someone who was still (apparently) a polytheist,

who gave Moses such good advice in the governing of these people.

Moses obviously believed that it must have been God’s will, otherwise

he wouldn’t have consented.

How easy it could have been for Moses to brush off the advice of

this “pagan.” Instead, he listened. What’s the lesson? How open

are you to good advice, even when it comes from unexpected

sources?

TUESDAY

July 31

Zipporah and Her Husband’s Religion

Read

Exodus 4:19–26. What is happening here? Why did Zipporah

do what she did?

____________________________________________________________________

Several peoples of the ancient Near East practiced circumcision. So

it was not a new custom that God invented for His people. He just gave

it new meaning. For many it was a sign of marriage, performed when

a man was wedded, but God used it as a sign of His special link with

His chosen people. God instructed Abraham to circumcise every male

in his household on the eighth day (Gen. 17:9–14). Abraham was 99

when this was carried out.

The context sheds light on the severity of Moses’ neglect to cir-

cumcise his son. God tells Moses to demand that Pharaoh release

Israel, “ ‘my firstborn son’ ” (Exod. 4:22, NIV). As a consequence of

not releasing His “firstborn son,” Israel, God threatens to kill

Pharaoh’s firstborn son (vs. 23). In the next verse (vs. 24) we are

informed that God intended to kill Moses for not circumcising his son,

most likely his firstborn

(Exod. 2:22).

answering the following questions, attempt to see the matter from

God’s point of view:

(1) Did Moses know that Israelite male children were to be cir-

cumcised? (2) Did Moses know about the significance of circum-

cision? (3) How might the Israelites respond if they knew that

Moses had not circumcised his son? (4) How would God feel about

His messenger living in open disobedience to His command?

Moses was on the threshold of a mission that is a matter of life and

death for the Egyptians, as well as for the Israelites. His own life

might be sought by the Egyptians, or by the Israelites if their rescue

was frustrated. Moses’ personal safety lay completely in the hands of

God. No detail of God’s instruction for personal life must be over-

looked.

We are not told why Zipporah called Moses a “ ‘bridegroom of

blood’ ”

(Exod. 4:25, NIV). Most likely circumcision was to Zipporah

a “bloody” ritual. The custom was probably repulsive to her. It could

be that she had objected to the circumcision of her son and therefore

felt responsibility for what was happening. Nevertheless, sensing

God’s displeasure, she took it upon herself to do what Moses, God’s

man, should have done himself.

WEDNESDAY

August 1

Zipporah With Miriam and Aaron

Read Numbers 12:1–3. There is a suggestion that this Cushite wife

is not Zipporah, because Zipporah was a Midianite; instead, the

woman here was a new wife that Moses might have taken after the

possible death of Zipporah. There is no biblical evidence for a second

marriage of Moses, which would have been a big event had there been

one. Besides, Zipporah the Midianite might be referred to as a Cushite

(Hab. 3:7). Cushan is used as a parallel term for Midian and is per-

haps even an older poetical term for Midian.

Read

Exodus 2:1–9; Exodus 15:20, 21; Micah 6:4. What can we learn

about the character, gifts, and privileges of Miriam from these

texts? See also Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 382.

What

horrible traits do we see revealed in both Miriam and Aaron in

Numbers 12:1?

Human prejudice remains one of the enduring and damnable results

of the Fall. Even people as gifted and honored and blessed as Miriam

and Aaron weren’t immune. What made matters worse here was that

Zipporah had proved herself loyal and faithful to Israel through all the

trials of the Israelite nation. According to Exodus 4:20, she and their

children went with Moses back to Egypt. She saved Moses’ life

(vs. 26).

Who knows what would have happened to Israel had Moses died. Even

worse was that this kind of prejudice should come from leaders of peo-

ple who themselves were the objects of scorn from another nation.

What

was the real issue in the attack on Moses’ wife? Num. 12:2.

Miriam and Aaron felt their authority decline. They connected this

trend to the wife of Moses. It is her father who influenced Moses to

appoint scores of leaders who reported to Moses when they had diffi-

cult cases. The attack on Zipporah may not have been an innocent pre-

text to discredit Moses. Aaron and Miriam may never have accepted

their brother’s wife, and after seeing her f

amily in the wilderness, they

may have despised her even more.

Why is racial or ethnic prejudice repugnant in those who pro-

fess to follow Christ? What concrete steps can you take to help

purge your heart of this sinful disease?

THURSDAY

August 2

Moses and His Brother-in-Law

It’s been said that when you get married, you don’t marry just the

spouse; you get his or her family, as well. Moses was no exception either.

Read

Numbers 10:29, 30. What’s going on here? Why did Moses

make this offer?

____________________________________________________________________

According to Moses, if Hobab agreed to come, he and his family

would partake of God’s blessings promised for Israel. At the same time,

Hobab’s presence would provide family for Zipporah, Moses’ wife.

What

symbolism is found in this idea, that of Gentiles partaking of the

blessings of Israel? Isa. 56:1–7, Rom. 11:17–19.

____________________________________________________________________

From the stories of Moses it was clear that God had His hand over the

Israelites. The future held great promise. But it was a tough life being

on the move. While Moses, their leader, was Hobab’s brother-in-law, it

was not an easy decision for Hobab to leave his people and cast his lot

with another. Maybe that’s why Hobab, at least at this point, said No.

What

does Moses say in Numbers 10:31, 32 that shows some ulterior

motives for the invitation of Hobab?

____________________________________________________________________

Moses’ actions are not totally understandable in light of the pillar of

the cloud. On the day the tabernacle was completed and erected, the

cloud settled over it (see Numbers 9). The cloud provided the signal

when to stop moving and when to get going again. Certainly Hobab

couldn’t compete with the cloud in kno

wing the best spots to camp,

could he? Or maybe Hobab’s knowledge of the area was simply meant

to complement the Lord’s leading; that is, to show them certain things

about the area that might be helpful to them as they followed the cloud.

What are some decisions you need to make soon? As you plan,

ask yourself,

What ar

e m

y motives?

After thinking a

bout those

motives, might you need to change your plans? Is doing the

right thing for the wrong reason still doing the “right” thing?

FRIDAY

August 3

Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, “The Aged Parents,” pp.

360–364, in The Adventist Home.

“Though not an Israelite, Zipporah was a worshiper of the true God.

She was of a timid, retiring disposition, gentle and affectionate, and

greatly distressed at the sight of suffering; and it was for this reason

that Moses, when on the way to Egypt, had consented to her return to

Midian. He desired to spare her the pain of witnessing the judgments

that were to fall on the Egyptians.

“When Zipporah rejoined her husband in the wilderness, she saw

that his burdens were wearing away his strength, and she made known

her fears to Jethro, who suggested measures for his relief. Here was

the chief reason for Miriam’s antipathy to Zipporah. Smarting under

the supposed neglect shown to herself and Aaron, she regarded the

wife of Moses as the cause, concluding that her influence had pre-

vented him from taking them into his counsels as formerly.”—Ellen

G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 383, 384.

Discussion Questions:

● What kind of prejudices are prevalent in your own society?

Ethnic, religious, national, gender, economic? What have been the

baneful results? How can we learn to recognize prejudice in our-

selves? Most important, what can we do to help purge this from

society, the church, and ourselves? As a class, what can you do to

help alleviate the suffering of others brought about by prejudice?

● As we saw earlier, the daughters of Jethro initially believed

that Moses was an Egyptian. This shows the power of culture

over our lives.What culture are you living in? How does it impact

your faith? As a class, talk about the things in your culture that

jive well with your faith and the things that are in conflict with

it. Identify together some of the problem areas and then talk

about whatever things you can do to help yourselves and other

church members work through these challenges.

Summary:

When Zipporah married Moses, she had no idea what was

coming. Yet, from the little said about her, we can see that she and her

family were a blessing to Moses and a great help in his divine mission.

INSIDE

Watching God Work: Part 2

Maria left the room wondering whether her refusal to serve the men

alcohol would mean the end of her employment. She prayed and left the

results to God.

A little while later her boss’s brother called her back into the room

where the family was gathered. “I thought you were a religious fanatic,”

he said. “But I went on the Internet and found that Seventh-day Adventist

Christians are a well-known group. The Web site explains why you keep

Sabbath instead of Sunday, and why you do not drink or smoke.” He

smiled and said, “You made us feel ashamed because we are Muslims, and

we should follow these principles, but we don’t. You are so different from

other Christians we have met. I want to learn more about your religion.”

Maria smiled. God had blessed her efforts to share her faith and brought

glory to His name, even though she could not explain her reasons in their

language.

“God has allowed us Adventist Christians to be in this country for such

a time as this,” Maria says. “One day it may not be possible to witness to

these impor

tant people, but what we share with them now will stay with

them.” Hundreds of families in this country are learning about what

Adventists believe right in their own homes.

One day Maria’s boss brought her a piece of meat and asked her to cook

it for him. She realized it was pork and gently told him that it was unclean

and she would not touch it. He was surprised and asked her, “How do you

know that this meat is not good to eat?” Maria’s language was too limited

to explain what she knew, so she pulled a Bible from her bag and turned

to Leviticus 11 and asked the man to read the passage. As he read the

chapter, she explained that this book is part of the Torah, which Muslims

recognize as part of their holy writings. Her boss and his wife read it

together and found other things they should observe. They talked together,

and she later heard him say, “These Adventists are more Muslims than we

are.”

Maria knows that she has more than a job; she has a mission to share

God’s love and His promises with people she meets, people who say they

believe but know nothing about their beliefs. “Every action, every step we

take, shows in whom we believe,” she explains. “Every day is a testimony

of God’s love.”

Our mission offerings help supply materials that make it possible to

share God’s love with all people.

MARIA

lives and shar

es her faith in a lar

e city in the Middle East.

tor

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

L ESSON

*August 4–10

Samson and His Women:

The Folly

of Passion

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study:

Judges 14–16.

Memory Text:

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,

and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,

but is of the world”

(1 John 2:16).

he story of Samson presents many challenges to the modern

reader. A lot of things just seem hard to understand, which only

goes to show that, as Paul said, we see through “a glass, darkly”

(1 Cor. 13:12). Only after Jesus returns will we get the full picture.

Nevertheless, even through a “glass darkly” there’s enough there for

us to learn a few good lessons from the rather sordid story of Samson

and his wife and Delilah.

Delilah was never the wife of Samson, but there are many similar-

ities in the experience Samson had with the woman he had married

earlier and with Delilah, the woman he later fell in love with. (1) Both

were Philistines. (2) Both were approached successfully by the

Philistine elders to snare Samson. (3) The attempts of both were re-

sisted by Samson initially, but in the end he yielded to both. Though

he did not marry Delilah, it is her name, rather than that of his name-

less wife, that has become associated with Samson.

The Week at a Glance:

Samson was a man given great

gifts and a calling from the Lord. He was also a man of great pas-

sions. It’s a sad story of how these conflicted.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 11.

SUNDAY

August 5

The Call of Samson

Read

Judges 13. What evidence did Manoah and his wife have of the

special calling given them? What conditions came with that calling?

____________________________________________________________________

Judges 13 makes it very clear that Samson was to have a great role

in Israel, that God planned to use this man to do a special work, to

begin to “deliver” Israel from the Philistines (Judg. 13:5). The Hebrew

word for “deliver” comes from a root word, ysha, from which the

name “Jesus” and the Hebrew word for “Savior,” Moshiah, arises.

Samson obviously had a great calling. Of course, being called of

God doesn’t make the one called infallible, or free of sin.

Read

Judges 13:24, 25. What do these texts tell us about Samson?

____________________________________________________________________

Read

Judges 14:1–3 and 16:1. What do these texts tell us about

Samson?

____________________________________________________________________

Whatever his great calling, Samson showed some dangerous char-

acter weaknesses. Samson’s emotions were guided purely by physical

appearances. The first time he said to his parents, “ ‘I have seen a

Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife’ ” (Judg.

14:1, 2, NIV). Later he saw a prostitute in Gaza and went to spend the

night with her

(Judg. 16:1). At a time when he should have been con-

centrating on the special mission, at a time when he should have been

true to God, he let his passions get control over him, and he then

linked himself in an intimate way with the enemies of Israel. How

ironic! He’s called to “deliver” Israel from the Philistines, and the next

thing we know, he’s marrying one.

What has God

“called” y

ou to do? What weaknesses of character

are standing in your way of fulfilling that calling? What prom-

ises can you claim fr

om the Bib

le for the victories that will

enable you to do whatever God has called you to do?

MONDAY

August 6

Samson’s Wedding Day

Read

Judges 14. What mistakes are we seeing Samson make?

____________________________________________________________________

Samson, apparently, frequented the Philistine towns west of his

home. He also had no second thoughts, it seems, about forming

alliances with the women who caught his fancy there. The Israelites

looked down on the Philistines and used the word

uncircumcised as

synonymous with heathen (1 Sam. 14:6), even though the Philistines

were their rulers at the time (Judg. 14:4). The alliances of Samson

with non-Israelite women no doubt caused his parents a lot of con-

cern, especially considering the special circumstances of his birth and

calling (vss. 3, 4).

Also, from the time before the Flood, godly men had been attracted

by beautiful ungodly women and lapsed into wickedness (Gen. 6:1–5).

Solomon, too, married many foreign wives who worshiped other gods.

They were from nations specifically banned by God

(1 Kings 11:1, 2).

These alliances were not just political: Solomon is recorded as

“ ‘[holding] fast to them in love’ ” (vs. 2, NIV). While these wives

turned his heart to other gods, Solomon still worshiped Yahweh,

though not wholeheartedly

(1 Kings 11:4–6).

What

do the actions of the Philistines say about the nature of those

people with whom Samson was uniting?

____________________________________________________________________

What we see here is an example of just how dangerous the wrong

influences can be. Take someone with inherent weakness and place

that person—regardless of his or her divine calling—in a bad envi-

ronment, and the results can be very painful for everyone.

Look carefully and prayerfully at the influences around you, at

least the ones y

ou can contr

ol. Are they aiding you in your spir-

itual life, or are they working against it? What changes must you

make?

TUESDAY

August 7

Samson’s Revenge

This marriage seemed to go from bad to worse. Though Samson’s

wife “betrayed” him, it’s not hard to understand her fear. After all,

look at what her own kinsmen threatened to do to her and her family

(Judg. 14:15). Perhaps she should have told Samson what happened

and asked for his help and protection. Either way, this ill-advised mar-

riage didn’t last long. Samson’s anger and then abandonment of his

wife set the stage for the suffering that was to come.

What

reason is given for Samson’s return to his wife? Judg. 15:1.

What does this tell us about Samson?

____________________________________________________________________

However much one would like to put the best spin on Samson’s

motives, the text seems to indicate that he was moved more by his lust

than by any desire for marital reconciliation. Whatever his motives, he

obviously wasn’t too pleased to discover that his wife had been mar-

ried off to another. Marriage seems about as corrupted back then as it

is today.

What

did Samson’s responses here tell us about his character? Judges

15.

____________________________________________________________________

Obviously, as shown by his actions after his wife was married to

another man, Samson had a violent temper. And maybe, too, he really

loved his wife and was angered that she was with another man.

Next, his killing of Philistines might have come also out of love for

his wife; or maybe he acted out of guilt, believing that his burning of

the field led to their murder. Whatever the reasons, a great deal of suf-

fering that could have been avoided occurred because Samson, who

should have known better, allowed his emotions and passions to rule.

Samson, angry at his wife, walks out right away. Imagine, how-

ever, if he would have shown her some mercy, grace, and for-

giveness. How different things might have been. Spend time at

the foot of the Cross, and from that understand the forgiveness

granted you through Jesus. Now, apply that same forgiveness to

the next person who angers you.

WEDNESDAY

August 8

The Sad Saga Continues

Judges 15 ended with Samson killing one thousand Philistines.

“After his victory,” wrote Ellen White, “the Israelites made Samson

judge, and he ruled Israel for twenty years.”—

Patriarchs and

Prophets, p. 564. Here we see how Samson was to “begin” to deliver

Israel (Judg. 13:5).

Read

Judges 16:1–3. What other leaders in the Bible, despite having

great privileges, showed similar weaknesses? What was the cost?

His going to a prostitute was bad enough, but arrogantly going to

one in the middle of his enemies? “But not withstanding his sin, God’s

mercy had not forsaken him.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and

Prophets, p. 565. Samson escaped with his life. But would he learn his

lesson?

Read

Judges 16:4–6. What does this tell us about the kind of rela-

tionship he entered into again?

Unlike the other women he was with, including his wife (at least the

one mentioned in Scripture), it says that he loved Delilah. It doesn’t

seem, however, that the love was reciprocated.

Read

Judges 16:5–20. What does this story tell us about the power of

love to blind the eyes? What should have been apparent to Samson

from the beginning? Why didn’t he see it?

However foolish it was on his part to get involved with another

Philistine woman, he should have seen early on that this woman was

not out for his good. So strong, though, was the power of “love” and

passion that he persisted in keeping up the relationship, despite how

obvious it was that he should have fled right from the start.

How carefully do you guard your emotions and your passions?

How many “good” people ruin their lives and the lives of their

loved ones by not contr

olling the emotions?

What’s the best way

to protect yourself from this trap?

THURSDAY

August 9

Blinded by Love

Read

Judges 16:16–31. If you could derive a moral from this story,

one that would be relevant for us today, what would it be, and

why?

____________________________________________________________________

God made men and women as He did and ordained them to be mar-

ried as a symbol of the unity and closeness He seeks with His church

(Rev. 21:2). The ideal relationship should bring each partner closer to

God, not drive one or the other away. In this case we can see so clearly

how a wrong relationship can separate someone from the Lord.

“What a change to him who had been the judge and champion of

Israel!—now weak, blind, imprisoned, degraded to the most menial

service! Little by little he had violated the conditions of his sacred

calling. God had borne long with him; but when he had so yielded

himself to the power of sin as to betray his secret, the Lord departed

from him. There was no virtue in his long hair merely, but it was a

token of his loyalty to God; and when the symbol was sacrificed in the

indulgence of passion, the blessings of which it was a token were also

forfeited.”—Ellen G. White,

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 566.

What

irony is found in the fact that Samson was blinded?

____________________________________________________________________

In reading the story, we can see that Samson, regardless of the mis-

takes he had made, hadn’t lost his faith, however imperfect that faith

was. And God was still able to use Samson to accomplish His goals.

How much better, though, would it have been if Samson had been

faithful to the truth he knew. That God was able to accomplish His

purposes despite Samson’s failures doesn’t justify those failures. It

shows only that God works His will despite us; how much better if He

would work His will through us.

Samson is listed in Hebrews 11:32 as a faithful follower of the

Lord. What does it tell us about God’s grace? What hope can

you draw from this f

or y

ourself?

FRIDAY

August 10

Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, “True Love or Infatuation,”

pp. 50–54, in The Adventist Home.

“The narrative creates an impression of almost incredible stupidity

on the part of Samson. At any time he could have put an end to

Delilah’s questioning by leaving her and returning to his home. But

Samson’s chief fault was not so much stupidity as sensual infatuation.

In the ruin and shame that this sensual weakness brought upon him,

and the way in which, step by step, it led him to forfeit God’s miracu-

lous gift of supernatural strength, lies the chief moral of the story.”

—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 398.

“God’s providential care had been over Samson, that he might be

prepared to accomplish the work which he was called to do. At the

very outset of life he was surrounded with favorable conditions for

physical strength, intellectual vigor, and moral purity. But under the

influence of wicked associates he let go that hold upon God which is

man’s only safeguard, and he was swept away by the tide of evil. Those

who in the way of duty are brought into trial may be sure that God will

preserve them; but if men willfully place themselves under the power

of temptation, they will fall, sooner or later.”—Ellen G. White,

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 568.

Discussion Questions:

● What can you do to help someone who seems to be allowing his

or her passions to overrule better spiritual judgment?

● What can you do as a church to give folk who are being

tempted the help and encouragement of a strong, loving, and

understanding congregation? What changes need to occur in the

church so that those who need help can find people who care and

understand, as opposed to those who will condemn and judge

them?

● As a class, take time together to pray for your church leaders,

those given great responsibilities, that they will be protected from

making the same kind of mistakes that Samson made.

Summary:

Samson’s story is of a strong man brought down by his

moral weaknesses. A strong relationship with his God would have

helped him control his relationship with women. His experience illus-

trates the text “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers” (2 Cor. 6:14,

NKJV).

INSIDE

The Journey of Faith

by CARMELO GONZALEZ

As a member of another denomination, I loved attending church and

Sunday School. I taught the youth class, and my wife, Doris, taught the

children. We were a happy Christian family. I loved God, and I wanted to

serve Him. Then doubts began creeping into my mind. I wondered whether

my beliefs were really based on the Bible.

As I thought about what I believed, I found more and more things that

did not seem to follow what the Bible teaches. I asked my pastor about

some of these issues, but I was not satisfied with his answers.

A week later, my sister called to tell me she had attended a religious

seminar and was amazed by the preaching. I was interested and asked her

to send me a cassette tape of the seminar. When it arrived, I eagerly lis-

tened to it. The speaker talked about the statue in King Nebuchadnezzar’s

dream and what it meant. This speaker was good, but so much of what he

said seemed—well, strange. I jotted down the Bible texts so that I could

look them up later. I started looking up every Bible reference, and I could

hardly believe it. Every Bible text seemed to prove the man’s words true.

I called my sister and asked her to send me more tapes. Soon I received

a box containing 30 tapes. As I listened to them, I wondered,

Are these

tapes God’s answer to my prayer for truth? I knew that the speaker was a

Seventh-day Adventist, and I knew a little bit about Adventists. But I did

not know anyone who was an Adventist.

I called the telephone operator and asked for the number of an Adventist

church in my area. I called the church and left a message.

The next day a young pastor called and invited me to attend prayer meet-

ing on Wednesday night in a nearby church. I went, and immediately the

members made me feel welcome and comfortable.

The next day the pastor called again and told me of an Adventist church

closer to our home and suggested I visit there. This little group made me

feel very welcome. My family and I started attending the little Adventist

church together. We quickly made friends with members of the congrega-

tion and decided that God had led us to this church.

I have been a Christian for many years, but now I am the happiest

Christian, for I have found the truth of God in a loving new family.

CARMELO GONZALEZ

and his famil

y live in P

once

, Puerto Rico

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

tor

eaving our canoe we wind through a simple village of small reed houses

on stilts. Children play in the dirt, pigs and goats nuzzle in piles of trash.

Approaching a humble reed building near the edge of town, we hear the

singing inside. Up the narrow ladder of sticks we climb, and into a roomful

of smiling faces. Half of them are under 12 years old, all of them are

Seventh-day Adventist brothers and sisters.

Witchcraft permeates this area of Benin in western Africa. Becoming an

Adventist Christian often means separation from families and community.

Loved ones and trusted friends urge believers in Christ to see the shaman

priest for “juju,” magic to cure their problem. It is so difﬁcult to face such

strong opposition and stand true to a God they cannot see.

But these beautiful believers continue on, continue to reach out as a light

into darkness. They are in desperate need of a new church building, not

made of sticks and reeds, but one built as strong as their faith. I see their

dedication, I see the challenges they face, and I want to help them. For

me, it’s personal.

[This quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath

Offering will help provide 10

congregations in West-Central

Africa with churches or

evangelistic centers.]

L ESSON

*August 11–17

Boaz and Ruth: Firm

Foundations

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study:

Ruth 1–4

Memory Text:

“ ‘Where you go I will go, and where you stay I

will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried,”

(Ruth 1:16, 17,

NIV).

rom the Fall in Eden to the mark of the beast at the end of the

world, Scripture portrays a pretty grim picture of humanity. The

Word of God does not gloss over the human condition. From one

end of the Bible to the other, humanity is portrayed for what it is.

In the midst of all this sits the book of Ruth and the handful of char-

acters there, people of courage, conviction, faith, loyalty, and selfless-

ness. Where did these folk come from?

The refreshing relationship of Boaz and Ruth appears in stark con-

trast to the period of the judges in which the story is set, a time when

there was no king and everybody did what they wanted. Yet Ruth, a

Moabite, demonstrates supreme devotion to her bereaved mother-in-

law and to the God of the Israelites; Boaz, meanwhile, shows consis-

tent goodness. Though life had thrown so many hurdles in the way, the

story of Ruth illustrates how a right attitude can overcome odds.

The Week at a Glance:

In Boaz and Ruth we can see many

features that make a good foundation for a successful marriage

and for a faithful life in general.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 18.

SUNDAY

August 12

Family Affairs

Sometimes we can find goodness, faith, dedication, and selflessness

in the most unexpected places. The family relations shown in the book

of Ruth could have easily gone sour. Instead, they give us something

to emulate.

Read

Ruth 1 and, based on what you read, answer the following ques-

tions:

1. What parallel is found here with some earlier Bible characters?

Ruth 1:1; compare with Gen. 12:10, 26:1.

____________________________________________________________________

2. What evidence of the good family relations between everyone

involved do you find in Ruth 1? How were these good relations

manifested?

____________________________________________________________________

3. Read Naomi’s words in Ruth 1:8, 15, 20, 21. What do these texts

tell us about her?

____________________________________________________________________

This must have been some kind of family: a Hebrew mother-in-law

to two “pagan” daughters-in-law wouldn’t, on the surface, seem to

form a great relationship. It had all the earmarks for disaster.

And yet, the dedication to each other’s well-being is phenomenal.

We don’t know all that went on in their homes, but they obviously had

something that many homes certainly could use.

How faithful and loyal are you to those around you? What can

you do in order to think less of self and more about the good of

others?

MONDAY

August 13

Devotion of Ruth

Based

on Ruth 1, what can we know about the character of Ruth?

What evidence do we have that she believed in the God of Israel?

____________________________________________________________________

Ruth’s dedication to her mother-in-law was powerful. Orpah’s turn-

ing back possibly made Ruth’s decision to stick by her mother-in-law

more difficult. Naomi pointed to her and said, “ ‘[She’s] going back to

her people and her gods. Go back with her’ ” (Ruth 1:15, NIV). That

is when Ruth made her famous statement about wanting to be part of

the people of Israel. Obviously, she saw something in those people and

in their God that attracted her. All this despite the fact that Naomi her-

self doesn’t appear to be an openly aggressive evangelist.

What

evidence do we see here of just how, on one level, Naomi wasn’t

a good witness for the Lord?

____________________________________________________________________

Regardless of the problems, in Ruth we see a Moabite who sought

to be part of Israel, even though the Israelites were to be more accept-

ing of Edomites and Egyptians than of Moabites. Edomite and

Egyptian great-grandchildren (the third generation) might be allowed

into the assembly of the Lord

(Deut. 23:7, 8). But no descendant of

any Ammonite or Moabite could enter the Lord’s assembly, even down

to the tenth generation (vs. 3). However, this is not a prohibition

against ever marrying one of them, nor is it an exclusion of them from

salvation. Ruth adopts Naomi’s God as her very own, and in return

God shows her His favor in many ways.

Look at your own life, your own church, your own relationships

to others and to the Lord. What, if anything, is there that would

cause others to be drawn to your church and to your God?

What does y

our ans

wer tell you about yourself and your

church? Discuss your response in class on Sabbath.

TUESDAY

August 14

Boaz

So far we’ve seen numerous things in Ruth that show her to be a

person of good character, faithfulness, and dedication.

But, as we know, it takes two to make a couple. Hence, Boaz now

enters the story.

Read

Ruth 2:1–12. What can we learn here about the character of

Boaz? What points stand out about him?

____________________________________________________________________

When Boaz found out who the young woman gleaning in his fields

was, he did several thoughtful things. He (1) gave her full encourage-

ment to glean in his fields, (2) provided for her peace of mind by

informing her that the men had been instructed not to bother her, (3)

provided for her further needs by making his drinking water available

for her, and (4) gave her spiritual encouragement.

Read

James 2:14–17. In what ways do we see the principles James ex-

pressed manifested here by Boaz? What lesson is in here for us?

____________________________________________________________________

Boaz further tried not to make Ruth feel as if she were a beggar

(Ruth 2:13–23). At mealtime he invited her to join his harvesters for

bread and a relish made with vinegar and even gave her enough

roasted grain so that there were leftovers. He instructed his men not to

embarrass her even if she gleaned among the tied sheaves, and he even

told them to deliberately remove stalks of grain from the sheaves and

leave them for her. The amount that Ruth took home was more than

could be gained through hard work. It testified to generosity. Finally,

Boaz invited her to spend the rest of the harvest days in his fields.

How often a kind word can make such a difference in a person’s

life! How quick are you to give praise and affirmation to those

around you? Be stingy with criticism; be generous in affirma-

tion.

WEDNESDAY

August 15

The Proposal

Read

Ruth 3. What noble traits of character are revealed in all the

actions of the people involved? In what ways were these traits

revealed in the life of Jesus?

____________________________________________________________________

If there’s one thing about the Bible that should be clear to us, it is

that it takes place in a cultural context. Whatever the grand and eter-

nal truths God teaches us through His Word, they come to us through

people who live and function in their own culture—a culture that at

times can seem very strange to those who live in other cultures.

What

cultural things are revealed in this chapter that are strange to your

own culture?

____________________________________________________________________

Though it was in the darkness of the night, the proposal had the

potential to be very embarrassing for Ruth. She could have been spied

by someone, and stories might have spread. Boaz might have refused

her request. But Boaz immediately showed his thoughtfulness by try-

ing to put her at ease. He acted as though she was doing him a favor

by choosing him instead of some younger man. He then promised to

do all that she asked. Finally, he sent her back to Naomi laden with

food. He also went out of his way to protect her from any false accu-

sations that might have come from her visit to him.

Go back through Ruth 3 again and look at the different charac-

ter traits revealed there by Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. How well do

you manifest these traits in your own life? What upcoming

issues and challenges are you facing in which you need to mani-

fest these same traits? Take some time to think through what’s

coming and how you can, through the grace of God, do the right

thing.

THURSDAY

August 16

Redemption

Read

Ruth 4. What ultimately came of this marriage between a Jew

and a non-Jew?

____________________________________________________________________

Redemption is perhaps the most important theme in the book of

Ruth. In various forms the Hebrew word occurs more than twenty-

three times in these four chapters. Boaz fulfills the role of redeemer

for Naomi and her deceased husband and son. David, the notable

descendant, later proved to be the redeemer of Israel’s fortunes lost

after Joshua; and Jesus, a further descendant, provided redemption for

the entire humanity

(Gal. 4:5, 1 Pet. 1:18, Rev. 5:9).

What

were the duties of a kinsman-redeemer? Lev. 25:25, 47–49; Num.

35:18, 19; Deut. 25:5, 6.

____________________________________________________________________

The custom of a male relative marrying the deceased’s widow to raise

up an inheritance existed in other countries of the ancient Near East.

Deuteronomy 25:5 specifies that in Israel this practice applied just to

brothers living together. Judah attempted to get his second son to follow

this practice. Boaz did not qualify under the provisions of Deuteronomy

25, but it is apparent that extensions of this principle were practiced, and

in order of nearness of kin.

Naomi had not sold family property, but if and when it did go up for

sale, the closest relatives would have first option to buy it so as to keep it

in the family. The kinsman who would redeem this also had the obliga-

tion to marry Ruth to provide an heir for Mahlon, her deceased husband.

The fulfilling of the role of redeemer had its risk. If the kinsman-

redeemer had only one child, and that by Ruth, his own property would

pass on in the name of Mahlon. Hence, the law allowed the nearest kin

the opportunity to refuse to do what was expected of him. However, the

one who refused to redeem his relati

ve’s property and name had to

undergo a humiliating ceremony

(see Deut. 25:7–10).

As said earlier, the Bible unfolds within a particular cultural

context that can often be hard for those in other cultures to

understand fully. All that being said, what universal principles

regarding famil

y ob

lig

ations that should appl

y to us and our

family relationships can we find here? How well are you fulfilling

those obligations?

FRIDAY

August 17

Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, “Compatibility,” pp. 83–86,

in The Adventist Home.

In the beginning of the story, the odds of Ruth ending up marrying

Boaz were indeed minuscule. Many “circumstantial” events were nec-

essary to lead to their eventual meeting and marriage. (1) There had to

be a famine in Judah, else the family of Elimelech would not have left

Bethlehem. (2) They had to choose Moab rather than some other

country for refuge, such as Egypt or Edom, in order to come in con-

tact with Ruth. (3) There had to be eligible bachelors in Naomi’s fam-

ily to marry Ruth. (4) The male had to die in order for Ruth to be eli-

gible for a second marriage. (5) The famine in Judah had to end so that

Naomi could consider going back. (6) Ruth had to decide to accom-

pany Naomi. (7) Ruth had to happen to glean in the field of Boaz.

In the end, the Bible consistently presents the picture that the hand

of God is over all and that all that happens is with divine foreknowl-

edge. For those who love God and put Him first, all things work

together for their ultimate good (Rom. 8:28). This story is indeed a

great example of that principle.

Discussion Questions:

● Look at Naomi’s reaction in Ruth 1:19–21. Compare it to her

words in Ruth 2:20. Why is this such a common reaction? What’s

wrong, however, with her “theology”?

● As a class, discuss your answers to Tuesday’s last question.

What do your answers tell you about yourself and your church?

What things in your church would draw people to it? What

things would push people away? What practical things need to be

changed in order to make your church something that would

draw others to it and to the God you represent? How can you as

a class help to start implementing the needed changes?

● As a class, talk about your own culture and how it deals with

family relationships. What things in your culture work toward

strengthening those relationships? What things work against it?

What can you do to help others better understand their obliga-

tions to family members?

Summary:

Despite some aspects of their situation not being ideal for

marriage, Boaz and Ruth had the essential qualities for a solid rela-

tionship. Both demonstrated a spirit of caring and sharing, and both

were deeply committed to God.

INSIDE

No Matter What

How much does your faith mean to you? To James Cherogony of Kenya,

it means everything. And though he is just 20 years old, already his faith

has cost him 3 years of his life.

James was a top student at a secondary school in Kenya when a fellow

student introduced James to the Seventh-day Adventist faith. James joined

his friend in worship and soon gave his life to the Lord.

As graduation neared, the students prepared for the national exams. To

score well on these exams meant a chance to study at a quality university

and prepare for the future. James was not sure what he would study. He

could excel in a number of areas.

But when exam dates were posted, two of his exams fell on the Sabbath.

He went to the headmaster and explained that he was a Seventh-day

Adventist and would not take the exams on Sabbath. But instead of help-

ing him, the school suspended him. When James’s parents learned what

had happened, they were angry. They refused to intervene with the school

to help James take the last two exams.

James had completed every requirement for graduation except those

two exams, but now he would have to repeat at least a year of high school

and retake the exams in order to graduate. But his parents refused to pay

for another year of tuition. For two years James stayed at home, working

to help the family, reading widely, writing letters, and seeking to find a

secondary school that did not require Sabbath class attendance or Sabbath

exams.

Then James learned of an Adventist secondary school attached to the

Adventist-owned University of Eastern Africa in Baraton, Kenya. There

he could complete his studies and take his exams. Thrilled, James applied

for admission and was accepted. Government regulations made James

repeat more than his final year of secondary school, but James is not

deterred.

Through his trials, James has remained a faithful Seventh-day Adventist

Christian, letting his faith shine as a light to his family and friends. His

parents have seen how much James’s faith means to him, and they no

longer trouble him about the missed exams and lost years.

James is determined that no matter what, he will not give up his faith in

God. Your mission offerings help young people such as James receive the

education they need in an environment that affirms and strengthens their

faith.

JAMES CHEROGONY

lives in K

ya. He is completing his secondary sc

hool and hopes to

study toward a career of service to God.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

tor

L ESSON

*August 18–24

Elkanah and Hannah:

Fulfilling a

Vow

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study:

1 Sam. 1:1–2:26.

Memor

y Text:

“There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none

beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God”

(1 Samuel 2:2).

sually children are known by who their parents are; sometimes,

though, parents are known by their children. Such is the case

with Elkanah and Hannah. This couple did nothing extraordi-

nary except create Samuel. They were neither the first ones nor the last

ones to acquire a child after a prolonged period of anxiety and prayer.

Were it not for the child, these two—however faithful to the Lord—

most likely would have passed away into obscurity, known now only to

God and the angels. But the remarkable child Samuel caused the mem-

ory of Elkanah and Hannah to be preserved in the sacred Scriptures,

and so this couple, though dead, still speak to us today.

Most of the couples for study this quarter involve husbands who

were either patriarchs, prophets, or rulers, whom most of us aren’t.

But we can all be like Elkanah and Hannah. We may not have as dis-

tinguished a child, but we can show the same dedication and thus per-

haps bring the extraordinary out of the ordinary.

The Week at a Glance:

We can find in the story of Elkanah

and Hannah a faithful couple w

hom the Lor

d w

as a

le to use in a

remarkable way. What can we learn from their example?

*Study this week’s lesson to pr

epare for Sabbath, August 25.

SUNDAY

August 19

Elkanah

Read

1 Samuel 1. From what’s found in this text, what can we gather

about the character of Elkanah?

____________________________________________________________________

“The father of Samuel was Elkanah, a Levite, who dwelt at Ramah,

in Mount Ephraim. He was a person of wealth and influence, a kind

husband, and a man who feared and reverenced God.”—Ellen G.

White, Signs of the Times

(Oct. 27, 1881), vol. 7, no. 40.

Though not much is said about Elkanah, and he’s somewhat in the

background of this story, a few points do emerge. He truly seemed to

love Hannah and did what he could to console her in her grief. He also

seemed to be a devout person, one who sought to obey the Lord.

“Although his services were not required at the sanctuary, yet, like

many another Levite during the period of the judges

(Judges 17:8, 9),

Elkanah went up as a common Israelite with his own sacrifices to

encourage his neighbors and set them a good example. Though he

lived in the midst of an evil environment, his spirituality was evidently

at a high level. Even though Hophni and Phinehas were corrupt,

Elkanah was faithful in his worship and in the offering of his sacri-

fices.”—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 455.

Perhaps what’s most impressive about Elkanah was in regard to

Hannah’s vow. After all, that was his own son she was giving to the

Lord. It certainly wouldn’t have been an easy thing for him to do, as

well.

How

did Elkanah respond to Hannah’s vow before the Lord? Did he

have the right to void that vow? See Num. 30:1–15.

____________________________________________________________________

Ask yourself, What aspects of Elkanah’s character could I bet-

ter emulate in my own personal relations and in my relationship

with the Lord?

MONDAY

August 20

The Marriage

As we saw yesterday, Elkanah was apparently a faithful follower of

the Lord. Yet, that faithfulness didn’t prevent him from deviating from

God’s ideal in marriage, one man and one wife. That polygamy was

permitted didn’t make it right—or good. God has given us an ideal

because He knows what’s best for us. When we depart from it, no good

can arise.

According to Ellen White, Hannah was Elkanah’s first wife. When

she didn’t produce offspring, he took another wife. “But this step,

prompted by a lack of faith in God, did not bring happiness. Sons and

daughters were added to the household; but the joy and beauty of

God’s sacred institution had been marred and the peace of the family

was broken. Peninnah, the new wife, was jealous and narrow-minded,

and she bore herself with pride and insolence. To Hannah, hope

seemed crushed and life a weary burden. . . .”—Ellen G. White,

Daughters of God, p. 39.

What

examples of lapses of faith and judgment can you find in other

Bible “heroes”? What were those lapses, and what were the con-

sequences?

____________________________________________________________________

As we all should know, thanks to Jesus, in whom we have “forgive-

ness of sins”

(Col. 1:14; see also Exod. 34:7, Ps. 130:4, Eph. 1:7),

even our worst deeds have been atoned for. But the worse the deed, the

worse the consequences, usually. We might be given the promise of

forgiveness for our sins, but the Bible doesn’t promise freedom from

the immediate consequences of those sins. And even, as in the case of

Elkanah, if we do something that isn’t expressly forbidden, we can

still reap bitter consequences by deviating from principle. Thus, we

mustn’t fool ourselves with our own “piety” and “faithfulness.” Even

the best among us are not immune to lapses in faith and good judg-

ment.

Think of a few examples in your own life in which lack of faith

or a simple lapse of good judgment brought choices that reaped

bad consequences. What lessons did you learn that could help

you from making the same mistakes again?

TUESDAY

August 21

Hannah’s Vow

What

were the two problems that Hannah faced? (1 Sam. 1:1, 6).

Hannah means something like “the graceful one,” and Peninnah is

similar to “the fertile one.” How prophetic sometimes names turn out

to be! The Bible does not say that Elkanah loved Hannah more, but we

do get that impression. However, it is Peninnah who provided him

with children. Hannah’s problem is not only that she has no sons but

that Peninnah has several.

Elkanah

and his family journeyed to the sanctuary annually

(1 Sam. 1:3). What festivals were all Israelite males required to

attend? (Exod. 23:14–19).

1. ________________________ 2. ________________________

3. ________________________

The most festive of these was the Feast of Tabernacles, or the Feast

of Ingathering, and it is probably to this that Elkanah took his family

with him. But even if it was a personal family pilgrimage, it would

have been a happy occasion. In spite of all the joy and gaiety, or maybe

because of it, Hannah became despondent. More so because Peninnah

took pleasure in provoking her

(1 Sam. 1:7).

What

was the nature of Hannah’s vow? What assurance did she have

that the Lord heard her prayer?

____________________________________________________________________

The Bible makes it clear that God intervened (1 Sam. 1:19), and

Hannah conceived a son. At the same time, too, the influence of emo-

tions on the body can be powerful. After Eli spoke with her (vs. 17),

there was a change in her whole demeanor. Whereas before she refused

to eat, now she ate; whereas before she looked sad, now her counte-

nance was changed. Verse 19 states that they, meaning at least her and

her husband, rose up early and worshiped before the Lord. The next

thing we are told, she conceives, and not just a child but a male, as well.

We might not always have such a clear answer to our prayers,

but what Bible promises can you lean on that help you trust in

the Lord’s goodness and care, promises that should give you the

kind of peace Hannah experienced?

WEDNESDAY

August 22

Hannah, Mother in Israel

Hannah named her son Samuel, which sounds like the Hebrew for

“God heard,” but which is related to “asked of God.” Hannah explains

the name: “ ‘Because I asked the Lord for him’ ” (1 Sam. 1:20, NIV).

Not wishing to go to the tabernacle until she could carry out her vow

and leave her son there, she waited until she had weaned him. In the

absence of refrigeration to keep milk fresh, this was perhaps as long

as three years.

“From the earliest dawn of intellect [Hannah] had taught her son to

love and reverence God and to regard himself as the Lord’s. By every

familiar object surrounding him she had sought to lead his thoughts

up to the Creator. When separated from her child, the faithful mother’s

solicitude did not cease. Every day he was the subject of her prayers.

Every year she made, with her own hands, a robe of service for him;

and as she went up with her husband to worship at Shiloh, she gave

the child this reminder of her love. Every fiber of the little garment

had been woven with a prayer that he might be pure, noble, and true.

She did not ask for her son worldly greatness, but she earnestly

pleaded that he might attain that greatness which Heaven values—that

he might honor God and bless his fellow men.”—Ellen G. White,

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 572.

After the child was born and weaned, Hannah fulfilled her vow to

the Lord and brought him to Eli. Hannah expected Eli, with a little

prompting, to remember the incident that had taken place. At that time

Eli had told her, without knowing her petition, “ ‘May the God of

Israel grant you what you have asked’ ”

(1 Sam. 1:17, NIV). Now

Hannah reminds him, “ ‘I prayed for this child, and the Lord has

granted me what I asked of him’ ”

(vs. 27, NIV). How easy it might

have been for her to forget the vow, to rationalize away all the reasons

for fulfilling it. After all, this was her only child!

What

reasons could Hannah have used to justify not fulfilling the vow?

____________________________________________________________________

Read Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1–11. What does it tell us

about the nature and character of God? What specific elements

mean the most to you right now, in whatever personal situations

you are facing? Ho

w can y

ou mak

e these w

ords your own?

_________________________________________________________________

THURSDAY

August 23

The Family Legacy

As we saw earlier, none of this could have happened had not

Elkanah agreed. Hannah, obviously, told him what she vowed; he, too,

was witness to the miracle and, as a man of God, agreed to go along.

That he did was a testimony to his faith as well.

Read

again 1 Samuel 1:23. There are three elements to Elkanah’s

words. What words show his concern for the happiness of his

wife? What words show his concern for his son? What words show

his desire that they be faithful to the Lord?

____________________________________________________________________

While giving up the child would have been hard in the best of cir-

cumstances, another element that only complicated things, making the

decision even harder to fulfill, enters into the picture.

Read

1 Samuel 2:12–26. What kind of moral environment was

Samuel going to be subjected to? How could this have been used

as another reason not to fulfill the vow?

____________________________________________________________________

Regardless of that problem, this faithful husband and wife went

ahead and gave the child over. Obviously they had to trust in the Lord,

no matter how hard it might have been at times. The Lord rewarded

that faithfulness

(see 1 Sam. 2:20). After leaving Samuel at the taber-

nacle, Hannah gave birth to five more children

(1 Sam. 2:21). The

couple themselves do not appear again in the Bible. As far as they are

concerned, the story is over. But, of course, it’s not. Through their

faithfulness a great leader in Israel arose. Truly they are an example

of the principle found in words written long after they were gone:

“ ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord’ ” for “ ‘their deeds will

follow them’ ” (Rev. 14:13, NIV).

Were you to “die in the Lord” today, what deeds would follow

you? What does your answer tell you about how you’re living

your life? What changes might you consider making?

FRIDAY

August 24

Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, “Heaven’s Estimate of

Children,” p. 279, in

The Adventist Home.

“What a reward was Hannah’s! and what an encouragement to faith-

fulness is her example! There are opportunities of inestimable worth,

interests infinitely precious, committed to every mother. The humble

round of duties which women have come to regard as a wearisome

task should be looked upon as a grand and noble work. It is the

mother’s privilege to bless the world by her influence, and in doing

this she will bring joy to her own heart. She may make straight paths

for the feet of her children, through sunshine and shadow, to the glo-

rious heights above. But it is only when she seeks, in her own life, to

follow the teachings of Christ that the mother can hope to form the

character of her children after the divine pattern. The world teems

with corrupting influences. Fashion and custom exert a strong power

over the young. If the mother fails in her duty to instruct, guide, and

restrain, her children will naturally accept the evil, and turn from the

good. Let every mother go often to her Saviour with the prayer, ‘Teach

us, how shall we order the child, and what shall we do unto him?’ ”

—Ellen G. White,

Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 572, 573.

Discussion Questions:

● This story is a nice example of a faithful couple being re-

warded for their fidelity. What about cases in which, it seems,

faithful people aren’t rewarded, at least now in what appears to

be in any tangible way? As a class, talk about such cases. What

answers do you have?

● So many people have been so terribly damaged by a poor

upbringing. What promises and hope can you offer to someone

who struggles in overcoming the damage done to them in child-

hood?

● We all know stories of faithful parents who, though doing

their best to raise their children right, suffer terribly when those

children leave the faith. Talk frankly about this situation. What

encouragement and hope can you share with each other?

Summary:

Common people were made uncommon by their dedica-

tion to God. Hannah’s vow was unusual, but she carried it out, and

God blessed her and her husband, Elkanah, for it.

INSIDE

Just Pray!

by CLYDE VILLAN

“Help! Help!” The mournful cries awakened me in the night. They came

from the forest near our mountain cottage, where my partner and I teach

in a mission school. I awakened my teaching partner, grabbed my flash-

light, and ran toward the voice.

“Teacher, help!” came the cry again. We found the victim, Datu (Chief)

Campilan, lying in a pool of blood, too weak to crawl any farther. His left

leg was pierced through by a pointed bamboo stick used to capture wild

boar or deer.

I shouted for help, and the villagers came running. But when they saw

their chief, they refused to touch him or come close to him. “What is

wrong?” I asked. “Why are you afraid to help our chief?” But no one

answered.

My teaching partner and I prepared to carry the datu to our cottage, but

he said, “Just pray, Maestro. I believe that your God is powerful.”

I told the chief to close his eyes and nodded to my partner to hold the

datu’s leg. Without warning I pulled the bamboo stick from his leg. He

cried out in pain, but the stake was out. I tied the wound with a clean cloth

to stop the bleeding, and we carried him to our cottage. There we washed

his wound and applied a poultice of charcoal.

I told him that we must take him to the hospital the next day, for we did

not have the medicines to treat him. But the chief refused. “If I die, I will

die in my own village,” he said.

Then I remembered a lecture from our missionary training. These peo-

ple believe that if someone dies in your care, the dead person’s soul will

demand that you join him on the journey to the next world. In other words,

if the datu died, we would be killed. No wonder no one would touch the

chief in the forest.

But Datu Campilan’s faith was strong. “You just pray, Maestro, and your

God will heal me.” We prayed all night. The next morning I ran to town to

buy antibiotics. We continued to treat Datu Campilan, and with each treat-

ment we prayed for God’s healing power.

God healed Datu Campilan. He shows his scar and tells his villagers that

the God of the missionary teachers is a powerful, healing God.

CLYDE VILLAN

was a student missionary in Sil-angon Mission School when he wrote this

story. He studies at Mountain View College in southern Philippines.

tor

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

L ESSON

*August 25–31

The Jobs: Living With

Losses

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study:

Job 1:1–2:10.

Memory Text:

“He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish

woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ ”

(Job

2:10, NIV).

he nature of the book of Job, similar to what’s called Wisdom

literature, and the names of the characters in the story suggest

an Edomite setting. The closest we can get to a name in the

Bible similar to Job’s is an Edomite king, Jobab (Gen. 36:33).

Job’s wife’s name isn’t given. In fact, not much is said about her at

all. In the whole Bible, she’s quoted in only one verse, and based upon

that quote—uttered amid pain and tragedy that most people couldn’t

imagine—she’s been remembered. She, though, may have been the

model wife in every way, caring for her household, ministering to her

suffering husband, taking food to him at the dump, nursing his boils,

etc. But those good acts are not recorded; instead, the emphasis is on

her husband and his suffering, with her only appearance being her

urging him to do the very thing that Satan wanted.

Both husband and wife, as a couple, suffered with their losses; each

one, though, reacted differently to them. We’re not called to judge him

or her but to learn and to take heed.

The Week at a Glance:

The story of Job and his wife

reveals early on the reality of tragedy and suffering here on earth.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 1.

SUNDAY

August 26

The Story of Job

For thousands of years the story of Job has inspired, baffled, and

challenged readers. God alone knows how many books, commen-

taries, and essays have been written on this ancient book that, along

with Genesis, are the two oldest books in the Bible, both written by

Moses in Midian. “The long years spent amid desert solitudes were

not lost. Not only was Moses gaining a preparation for the great work

before him, but during this time, under the inspiration of the Holy

Spirit, he wrote the book of Genesis and also the book of Job, which

would be read with the deepest interest by the people of God until the

close of time.”—Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times

, Feb. 19, 1880.

Read

Job 1:1–2:8.What do these texts tell us about the character and

nature of Job? What is it about his nature and character that

make all the things that happen to him even harder to under-

stand?

____________________________________________________________________

It’s interesting that the book of Job should be, along with Genesis,

the first books of the Bible to be written. It’s as if the Lord knew, right

from the start, that one of the great questions facing human beings

would be the question of evil. If the God of heaven is so loving and so

powerful, why is there so much pain and suffering on earth? For many

people this question poses the greatest challenge to faith.

Thus, right from the start, the Lord, with the book of Job, along with

Genesis, gives us the background of the great controversy theme. We

are taken behind the scenes and shown things that—even with all our

telescopes and other fancy scientific devices—we would otherwise

never see. Though not answering all the questions, the book of Job

shows us, if nothing else, that suffering, pain, and calamity have

hardly caught God by surprise. Hence, they shouldn’t take us by sur-

prise either, and they certainly don’t present valid reasons for reject-

ing the God of Scripture.

Write out a paragraph explaining, the best you can, your under-

standing of why suffering exists in the world despite God’s love

for it. Be prepared to bring your answer to class on Sabbath.

MONDAY

August 27

Remember Job’s Wife

Read

over again the calamities that befell this couple. Only now put

yourself in Job’s wife’s place. What must have been going on in

this poor woman’s mind?

Though the story of Job centers on him and his sufferings, we mustn’t

forget his wife. It was her servants, too, who were destroyed; it was the

property that she benefited from that was destroyed; and it was her

children, the fruit of her womb, that were suddenly killed. Then to top

it off, it was her husband, the person with whom she had become “one

flesh” (Gen. 2:24), who was suddenly struck down with loathsome

sores and boils. Whatever Job himself suffered, she suffered the same,

maybe even more. One should easily understand her distress. As the

Bible presents the story, however, she’s given only one line out of 42

full chapters. Obviously, more went on behind the scenes than what’s

revealed to us here.

Read

Job 2:9. Focus particularly on her question. What’s implied in

it?

____________________________________________________________________

In Job 1:1, Job is described as someone who was tam vyahsar, trans-

lated “blameless and upright” (NIV). It’s interesting that in her ques-

tion “Do you still hold fast to your integrity?” (Job 2:9, NKJV), the

word for “integrity” is from the same word for “blameless” in Job 1:1,

which in Hebrew also means “complete,” or “perfect” (see also Gen.

6:9, 17:1, Pss. 37:37, 64:4). It’s also the same word that God uses to

describe Job once in Job 1:8 and twice in Job 2:3 (“perfect,”

“integrity”). Thus, exactly how Job is described four times is the spe-

cific point about his character that she is now questioning. How can

you still stay so “blameless” before God with all these things hap-

pening to us?

Again, we mustn’t forget that this couple shared these

calamities; what happened to Job wasn’t much different from what

happened to her.

The idea here is that these things shouldn’t happen to us if we

are “blameless” before God. What’s wrong with that kind of

thinking? At the same time, in what ways does being “blame-

less” bring benef

its e

en now to our lives?

TUESDAY

August 28

Satan’s Temptresses

Review

Genesis 3:1–13. What parallels can you find between this

story and the story of Job and his wife?

____________________________________________________________________

There are several similarities in the story of Adam and the story of

Job. First, both men were “perfect” and “complete,” at least in their

respective spheres. Second, both were facing tests that dealt with, lit-

erally, cosmic issues. Third, both their wives were victimized by

Satan, though in different ways. Fourth, in both cases Satan used the

wives as instruments of temptation against their husbands.

Read

again Satan’s charges against Job (Job 1:7–11, 2:3–5). In what

way is Job’s wife, however unwittingly, being used by Satan

against her own husband?

____________________________________________________________________

Job’s wife surely didn’t know any more about the cosmic drama

unfolding behind the scenes than did her husband. Satan was duping

her, using her for his ends. Satan took advantage of Eve amid the bliss

and happiness of Eden; in contrast, he took advantage of Job’s wife

amid unspeakable pain and suffering. Our cruel foe will use whatever

he can, and whomever he can, in any circumstances he can, in order

to lead us into sin and away from God. We should also note that Adam,

sinless and in the bliss and perfection of Eden, succumbed to the

deceptions; Job, a fallen being living amid terrible pain and suffering,

didn’t. What a testimony to the integrity of Job.

Ask yourself, male or female, What can I do to make sure that I

never place myself in a position where I am tempting someone

either wittingly or unwittingly, especially someone close to me,

to do the wrong thing?

WEDNESDAY

August 29

Curse God and Die!

Satan’s whole point against God was that Job was “blameless” only

because God was so good to him and that the moment things went bad,

Job would turn against Him. Twice Satan said that Job would “curse”

God to His face. As we saw, the exact thing that Satan said Job would

do was the exact thing that his wife told him to do. Again, how care-

ful we need to be with the words we speak, especially in moments of

intense emotions.

What

do the following texts say about the power and importance of

words? Prov. 13:3; 25:11; Eccles. 10:12; Matt. 12:36, 37; John 5:24.

____________________________________________________________________

Commentators on the book of Job have noticed one very interesting

point. When Satan says twice that Job will “curse” God to His face

and when Job’s wife tells him to “curse” God, the typical Hebrew

words for “curse” aren’t used. Instead, the word comes from the root

brk, which commonly means “bless” (Gen. 12:2, Exod. 12:32, Ruth

2:4, Ps. 26:12). The psalmist writes about blessing (from brk) the

Lord (Ps. 16:7, 26:12, 34:1). Now, though, in Job, the same word is

translated

curse. (In Job 1:5 the word curse is also from brk; also in

1 Kings 21:10, the same use of brk appears.)

Read

those verses we’ve looked at in Job where the root brk is trans-

lated “curse,” but the word bless is put in instead. What happens?

Clearly the texts don’t make sense if brk here were to mean bless.

Maybe in the case of Job’s wife, one could argue that she was being

sarcastic (as was Satan before God): Sure, Job, why not bless God for

all His goodness to us and then die!

However, seeing how it’s used, for

instance, in Job 1:5, it’s clear that this is just one of the idioms of lan-

guage in which words are used in unexpected ways.

How careful are you with your words? What can you do to make

sure that you don’t say things that you will regret later, things

that can bring suffering upon yourself and others?

THURSDAY

August 30

Supporting Each Other

Job’s wife must have been his support in most ways during his

ordeal. She must have suffered as she prepared his meals and bathed

his sores. His gaunt body and peeling skin must have tore at her heart.

She alone ventured close enough to get hit by his foul breath (Job

19:17). When she finally broke down, it was not against him, neither

was it for her own sake, but for his. She had kept her cool as asset after

asset disappeared. She is not recorded as uttering any unbecoming

word when her ten children were felled in one blow. But the sight of

her suffering husband was the last straw in the series of undeserving

reverses. Hers was a righteous indignation.

Read

Job 2:10.What was the essence of Job’s reaction? What did it say

about his faithfulness to God, even despite great pain?

____________________________________________________________________

In response to his wife’s outburst, Job does not call her foolish. He

says she speaks like one of the foolish women. She is not a foolish

woman, and this is not her normal behavior; it is unbecoming of her.

Thus, Job’s words seem to indicate something about her; that she was,

under normal circumstances, not one of the “foolish” women. This,

though, wasn’t a normal circumstance at all.

What

wrong idea did Job express in regard to the nature of his suf-

fering?

____________________________________________________________________

Even though Job wrongly attributes his suffering to God, he seeks

to stay faithful to God anyway. His use of the words good and evil are

the same Hebrew words used in Genesis 2:17 to describe the forbid-

den tree. Humans were never to know evil, only good. Evil doesn’t

come from God; it comes only from a deviation or falling away from

God. Evil, though, has become so pervasive that even the blameless

suffer from it. Of course, of all the blameless ones to suffer from sin,

none was more blameless than Jesus, and no one suffered from evil

more than He did

(Isa. 53:3–6, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Pet. 2:24, 4:1).

Read the first chapter of 1 Peter. What message does he have

there that parallels the story of the Jobs? Then ask yourself,

How well do I hold up under suffering? What lessons do I need

to learn that will better enable me to remain faithful regardless

of the circumstances?

FRIDAY

August 31

Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, “A Happy, Successful

Partnership,” pp. 105–113, in The Adventist Home.

“We know very little about this woman, and the tendency has been

to consider her an evil woman. Undoubtedly Job’s suffering caused

her to suffer as well. Losing all her wealth was painful, but even more

emotionally and psychologically devastating would have been losing

all her children. Her pain may have been even more intense than her

husband’s. Yet in the story she bears her pain quietly. She loved Job. It

must have been extremely painful for her to see her husband going

through excruciating physical, psychological, and spiritual pain and

be unable to do anything to bring relief. There seems to be only one

way left for her. She speaks to Job from the depth of her love and con-

cern for him. She doesn’t realize that, like Peter, she is echoing Satan’s

words. No, she is not a foolish woman, but that day she spoke ‘like’

one.”—Ángel Rodríguez, Adventist Review

, Apr. 13, 2000, p. 27.

Discussion Questions:

● As a class, read aloud your answers to Sunday’s final question.

What can you learn from each other? How good are the answers?

What questions remain unanswered? How can we help each

other live with unanswered questions about pain and suffering?

● What are practical ways in which spouses can work to encour-

age, uplift, and help each other spiritually, as opposed to being

instruments of temptation and the cause that makes it easier for

the other to stumble?

● Is there someone in your church who has recently suffered a

tragedy? What can you do as a class, in a practical way, to

encourage that person and to help him or her work through the

grief?

● As a class, talk about the idea of taking the name of the Lord

in vain. What are examples of how we might even unwittingly be

guilty of that sin? Think about phrases, curses, idioms, and slang

words in your own language as you discuss the answer.

Summary:

The Jobs bore their reverses with equanimity. Even though

she may have suffered more than Job, the wife broke down only when

she could no longer bear to see the pain her husband was in. We can

look to them for inspiration when we are faced with similar losses that

pale in comparison with theirs.

INSIDE

Witchcraft to Wonderful

Savior

by ANTONIO SINABARE

I grew up in Mozambique, in a family that worshiped traditional gods

and practiced witchcraft. I became sick and lost consciousness for hours

at a time. My parents, with all their witchcraft, could not help me.

My sisters attended a Christian church. I noticed that when they sang

Christian songs, I felt better. I began attending their church looking for

healing. The pastor took me into his home to help me. When he saw the

devil strings I wore, he told me to remove them. I obeyed, and from that

day on I had no more fainting spells.

The pastor said I had the spirit of prophecy and healing, a gift from God

that I could use to bless others. I prophesied and laid hands on people, who

were healed. I was filled with pride that I was doing God’s work. But I

soon learned differently.

Controversy split my church, and my pastor and I formed another

church. The pastor invited a teacher to teach us the Bible, hoping to

increase our group’s size and strength. The teacher taught things that I had

never heard before. He showed us that when people die, they sleep until

Jesus comes rather than go to heaven. When he showed us God’s true

Sabbath, our little group became divided. Eight church members, includ-

ing my wife and me, began attending the Adventist church on Sabbath and

our church on Sunday.

After my wife and I joined the Adventist church, I learned how to hold

evangelistic meetings and give Bible studies. I began visiting neighbors

and members of other churches, offering to study the Bible with them. I

held a small evangelistic series, and six people followed Jesus and joined

the Adventist church. Some leaders of other churches threatened us, but I

could not stop sharing what I knew was God’s truth with others.

We moved to an area that had no Adventist congregation, and we

planted a church there. The more I taught others, the stronger my own faith

grew. It was like a fire in my bones; I had to share my faith with others. In

six years God has helped me plant two churches. The members are faith-

ful, and the congregations continue to grow. One congregation now has 40

members.

I no longer feel pride in the powers I thought God had given me. I find

joy in humbly teaching God’s truth to others and training new believers to

bring their friends to Jesus and teach them.

ANTONIO SINABARE

is a shop o

wner in

ete

, Mozambique

tor

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

L ESSON

*September 1–7

David and Bathsheba:

Adultery

and After

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This W

eek’s Study:

2 Samuel 11, 12.

Memor

y Text:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew

a right spirit within me”

(Psalm 51:10).

he marriage of David and Bathsheba is a model for how to do

almost everything wrong. Born out of adultery, then compli-

cated with deception and murder, it’s a sordid account of just

how fallen humanity has become.

In the incident with Bathsheba, David broke the sixth command-

ment, “Thou shalt not kill”; the seventh commandment, “Thou shalt

not commit adultery”; the ninth commandment, “Thou shalt not bear

false witness against thy neighbour”; and the tenth commandment,

“Thou shalt not covet”

(Exod. 20:1–17). Whatever pressures David

put on her, Bathsheba put herself in a very vulnerable position when

she washed herself in sight of the king’s house. Whoever imagined

that a little bath water could be so dangerous? Whether a deliberate

ploy to entice the king or just an unfortunate lapse in judgment, her

indiscretion ended in dire consequences for them both.

In the end, the fact that David received forgiveness stands as a pow-

erful testimony of God’s grace for even the most inexcusable sins, sins

that weren’t just sins but crimes. While we marvel at how low David

stooped, what’s even more marvelous is that God’s grace extended

even to the depths of human depravity. How fortunate for us.

The Week at a Glance:

The story of David and Bathsheba

ever bears witness to how even the most godly people, unless care-

ful, can fall into the worst of sin. How fortunate that we have a

God who forgi

es the unf

vable.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 8.

SUNDAY

September 2

Precursor to a Fall

Read

2 Samuel 3:1–5 and 2 Samuel 5:13. What’s in these texts that

helps us understand why David would do what he did with

Bathsheba and, on the other hand, helps us understand why his

act of adultery was even more heinous?

____________________________________________________________________

Proverbs says that “the eyes of man are never satisfied” (Prov.

27:20). How true in the case of David. By the time he lusted after

Bathsheba, he already had more than six wives and who knows how

many concubines. And yet that was not enough? And worse, to satisfy

his lusts he had to take another man’s wife?

We shouldn’t miss the important principle here: Any deviation from

the will of God opens the soul up to more and more folly and decep-

tion. By transgressing God’s will, David opened himself to more

temptation. The indulgence of a passion, far from removing the pas-

sion, only makes that passion stronger and stronger. Had David fol-

lowed God’s ideal, one man, one wife, he would have been less open

to Satan’s temptations. In this case the floodgates were opened, and

David was swept away in the deluge.

Read

James 1:12–15. What warning to us is the Lord giving here?

____________________________________________________________________

Those who have ever struggled with addiction, with uncontrollable

desires of any kind, know how sin is never satisfied. The more you

indulge it, the more you want it; and the more you want it, the easier

it is to make excuses for it until you are enslaved by it. As Jesus said,

“ ‘Everyone who sins is a slave to sin’ ” (John 8:34, NIV).

What has been your own experience with powerful temptations,

with addictions, with drives that seem to control you rather than

vice versa? What promises do we have for victory? What choices

do you have to make in order to make those promises real in

your own life?

MONDAY

September 3

The Fall

Read

2 Samuel 11:1–5. What were the steps that led to David’s fall?

At what points in the progression of events could he have stopped

before sinning? What Old Testament stories would he have known

about that he could have drawn inspiration from? See, for instance,

Gen. 39:7–14.

The initial temptation from “seeing” comes to all of us. This may be

involuntary and is not sin. The next step is stopping to investigate.

This could be treading on very dangerous ground and may be sin in

the mind. It could be very difficult to keep from getting into the next

and final step, the actual misdeed.

It’s clear, though, that right from the start David knew exactly what

he was doing. He had inquired about who she was, and even though

he was told, directly, that she was the wife of another man, he, never-

theless, had her brought to him in order to fulfill his own lusts. What

other reason did he have to do this? She was already married, so he

wasn’t interested in making her a wife. He wasn’t interested in falling

in love with her. He was, it seems, driven purely by passion.

Plus, was he not the king? Was he not used to getting whatever he

wanted? Why not, then, this woman, as well?

Read

again 2 Samuel 11:4. What can we tell about Bathsheba and

how she responded to David’s seduction?

Was she flattered by the attention of the king, or did she try to resist

his advances? Might she have been purposely washing herself in his

sight, or was she taking for granted that the king would be off fight-

ing with his army, as was the custom in the spring, according to the

Bible (2 Sam. 11:1)? The text makes no indication that the king had

forced her, such as in Ammon’s rape of Tamar (2 Sam. 13:14). Nor

does it say that she willingly gave herself to him. Whatever the details,

David—who should have known better—took advantage of this young

woman and led them both into sin.

Sexual drives can be very strong. How careful are we not to take

advantage of these weaknesses in others and exploit them for

personal satisfaction or gain? What kind of messages are you

sending by your words, your dress, your body language?

TUESDAY

September 4

The Cover-up

In 2 Samuel 11:5, Bathsheba tells David that she’s pregnant. That she

just assumed David was the father indicates that she probably hadn’t

been with anyone else, including her own husband.

Read

2 Samuel 11:6–25. Does Bathsheba play a role in the cover-up

of her husband? Explain.

____________________________________________________________________

We have no indication whatsoever that Bathsheba knew of David’s

plans for her husband. He probably wanted it that way. The fact, how-

ever, that David tried to get Uriah to go home to his wife probably

indicated that David was sure that she wasn’t going to tell her husband

that she got pregnant by the king.

Why

not? See Lev. 20:10.

____________________________________________________________________

David had her in a bind. Had she confessed, she would have faced

the possibility of death. And had it come down to it, David would have

denied everything (after all, he committed murder in order to try to get

out of it). How much easier if all he had to do was tell a lie!

Why

would I, with all these wives and concubines, take the wife of one of

my most trusted and valiant soldiers? And Bathsheba, pregnant with

another man’s baby, would have had no way to prove his guilt either.

Who would believe her word against a beloved and powerful king with

all these women at his disposal? She was totally helpless.

Thus, from her perspective, what would she gain from confessing?

David apparently knew this, which was why he felt safe in trying to

get Uriah into her presence. As it turned out, of course, that never hap-

pened.

Look at how quickly one moment of uncontrolled passion led to

a spiral of sin and crime in a man of God. How carefully are you

controlling your passions, your desires? How can you better

place yourself in a position w

her

e y

ou ar

e less tempted b

y things

that can lead you down this same horrid path?

WEDNESDAY

September 5

The Wages of Sin

Read

2 Samuel 11:26, 27. What does this tell us about both David and

Bathsheba?

____________________________________________________________________

Bathsheba mourned for her dead husband. What might have made

her grief even worse was the knowledge that, perhaps, she was impli-

cated in his death. How much she knew, at that time, regarding David’s

deeds we don’t know, but eventually the rumors started spreading

about David’s sins. Meanwhile, David did the only “honorable” thing

he could and took her to him as a wife. Let’s assume that she needed

at least a month to know that she was pregnant; let’s assume, too, that

she mourned for her husband 30 days

(Num. 20:29). Depending, then,

on how long it took David to get Uriah killed, it’s still hard to see how

anyone could not have known something was amiss regarding the tim-

ing of this child’s birth.

Read

2 Samuel 12:13–23. What principle do we see operating here?

____________________________________________________________________

It’s hard to understand why an innocent baby should suffer for sins

he had nothing to do with. But this is the horrible nature of sin. It leads

to the suffering of others, even those who might have had nothing to

do with the sin. How many spouses and children have suffered ter-

ribly because of the sin of adultery committed by a parent? Sin never

happens in isolation. Sooner or later, in one way or another, the con-

sequences appear.

What other examples can you find in the Bible of

this same principle?

Read

2 Samuel 12:24. What does this tell us about the relationship

between David and Bathsheba?

____________________________________________________________________

Theirs was, from the start, a marriage that never should have been.

David, though, shows here compassion for her, and they eventually

have another child together.

Forgiven sin can bring about horrible consequences anyway.

What lesson can you take from this story as you daily confront

temptations to sin?

THURSDAY

September 6

David and Bathsheba: The Final Days

After the birth of Solomon, Bathsheba disappears from the pages of

the Bible until years later, at the end of David’s reign. She would have

become simply another one of David’s wives had it not been for the

fact that their next son, Solomon, was destined to take the throne of

Israel. In 1 Chronicles 22:5–9, David stated that the Lord told him that

Solomon was to be the next king.

Read

1 Kings 1:1–27. What is happening here? Why would Adonijah

believe that he should have the throne before Solomon? See

2 Samuel 3:4.

____________________________________________________________________

For whatever reason, God chose Solomon to be the heir to the

throne. Bathsheba, after the birth of Solomon, doesn’t appear again

until Adonijah’s revolt, where she and Nathan inform David of what is

happening. Both she and Nathan know that Solomon, not Adonijah,

was the Lord’s choice.

David comforts Bathsheba after their son dies. And now as the king-

dom is poised on the brink of civil war, more than ever, Bathsheba

needs the king’s assurance to secure the succession of their son.

Read

1 Kings 1:28–31. Notice her response to the king after he gives

her the reassurance she longs for. What might that say about their

relationship, as well? How does Bathsheba’s approach and respect

for the king, her husband, model how we, as a church, should

approach our King, Jesus, with our petitions?

____________________________________________________________________

Any kind of a good relationship—marriage, friendship, or one

between a parent and child—needs nurturing. What immediate

relationships of yours need some mending, some nurture, some

work? What steps can you take to make that relationship bet-

ter?

FRIDAY

September 7

Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, “Moral Standards,” pp.

326–339, in The Advenitst Home.

“Many have murmured at what they called God’s injustice in sparing

David, whose guilt was so great, after having rejected Saul for what

appear to them to be far less flagrant sins. But David humbled himself

and confessed his sin, while Saul despised reproof and hardened his

heart in impenitence. . . .

“Whoever under the reproof of God will humble the soul with con-

fession and repentance, as did David, may be sure that there is hope for

him. Whoever will in faith accept God’s promises, will find pardon.

The Lord will never cast away one truly repentant soul. He has given

this promise: ‘Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make

peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.’ Isaiah 27:5. ‘Let the

wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let

him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our

God, for He will

abundantly pardon.’ Isaiah 55:7.”—Ellen G. White,

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 726.

Discussion Questions:

● Read the story of Nathan with David (2 Sam. 12:1–8). Notice

how obvious it should have been to David, right from the start,

that this story was about him. And yet, he totally missed it. What

lessons can we take from this about how easy it is to deceive our-

selves regarding sin? As a class, talk about what precautions we

can take to protect ourselves, and each other, from falling into

such gross self-deception.

● As a class, read Psalm 51 together. Discuss the elements of the

gospel of Jesus Christ that are found there. What does it teach us

about the power of God’s grace in our lives?

● What practical spiritual truths can we learn from the story of

David and Bathsheba that can help us avoid the kind of mistakes

made here? What can we do to help each other avoid the kind of

pit that David fell into?

Summary:

Take heed—even the mightiest among us can fall; and the

mightier they are, the worse the consequences. The story of David

and Bathsheba contains a powerful message about the cost of sin, as

well as the greatness of God’s grace.

INSIDE

The Pain That Saved

by DASS KUMAR

Ganesan grew up in a family that was devoted to the idols they wor-

shiped in their hometown in India. They spent much time and money dec-

orating the idols and praying to them. Ganesan continued the family devo-

tion into adulthood.

One day as he was working, he was struck by an intense pain in his

cheek so severe that he fell down. The pain subsided, but it often returned,

disrupting his work, his sleep, his entire life. Doctors could not relieve the

pain, so for months Ganesan went to the temple to offer gifts and pray for

relief. But the pain returned day after day. At times it grew so severe that

Ganesan thought only death would bring relief.

One day a cousin learned of Ganesan’s trouble and invited him to visit

her church to let the members pray for him. Ganesan went, and the mem-

bers prayed, but the pain continued. He wanted to understand more about

Jesus, whom Christians worshiped, but he found the pastor’s words diffi-

cult to understand.

Then one day as he sat reading his Bible, some visitors knocked at his

door. They saw his New Testament and asked him about his faith. Ganesan

said he was searching for God and for healing from the pain that was

destroying his life. The visitors offered to return and study the Bible with

him, and Ganesan agreed.

As Ganesan and his sister Mohana studied their Bible, they realized they

had wasted so much time and money worshiping idols that could not hear

or speak or answer prayers. They removed the idols from their home and

committed themselves to worship the only true God.

Mohana and Ganesan attended evangelistic meetings and were among

the first to commit their lives to Christ in baptism. As Ganesan was

immersed in baptism, he felt something touch

him. Soon he realized that the pain in his

cheek that had plagued him for months was

gone.

Ganesan changed his name to Jacob, one

who wrestled with God. He and his sister now

share their faith and their testimonies with

their neighbors and invite them to come and

see that Jesus is the living, all-powerful God.

JACOB GANESAN (left). DASS KUMAR

is a pastor in

Chennai (Madras), India.

tor

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

L ESSON

*September 8–14

Ahab and Jezebel:

Abuse

of Authority

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study:

1 Kings 16:28–18:46.

Memory Text:

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbe-

lievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteous-

ness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”

(2 Corinthians 6:14).

f there were ever a couple in the Bible not to emulate, it would be

Ahab and Jezebel. Talk about a marriage made in hell! When you

take one weak-willed king and add to him a power-hungry and

conniving woman, the result will not be good.

In many ways this week’s study is about power and authority; more

specifically, it’s about the abuse of power and authority.

Power and authority are gifts from God. Those who have them have

the divine responsibility to wield that power and authority in a godly

way. When they don’t, they are sinning, not just against people, but

against God Himself. As we’ll see this week, Abab and Jezebel used

their power and their authority in a way contrary to the will of God.

They reaped the consequences, too. There’s a good lesson here for all

of us regarding how we use whatever power we have been granted.

The Week at a Glance:

Aha

b and Jezebel were a husband-

and-wife team that brought out the worst in each other. That’s bad

enough for any marriage, but when they happened to be the leaders

of a nation, the results were disastrous.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 15.

SUNDAY

September 9

Ahab

Last week we looked at David’s sin against Bathsheba, the sin that

led to so much pain and suffering, not just for himself, but for his

nation. Indeed, his weakened stature helped fuel the seeds of rebellion

in his own house, and that certainly helped pave the way for the rend-

ing of the nation into two separate kingdoms a generation or so later.

Read

1 Kings 16:28–30. What does this tell us about the character of

Ahab?

____________________________________________________________________

What

were some of the things that previous kings had done? 1 Kings

12:25–33; 13:33, 34; 14:22–27; 15:26, 34; 16:15–20, 25. How does

this help us understand the degree of wickedness found in Ahab’s

reign?

____________________________________________________________________

“Two years before the death of Asa, Ahab began to rule in the king-

dom of Israel. From the beginning his reign was marked by a strange

and terrible apostasy. His father, Omri, the founder of Samaria, had

‘wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were

before him’ (1 Kings 16:25); but the sins of Ahab were even greater.

He ‘did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the

kings of Israel that were before him,’ acting ‘as if it had been a light

thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.’Verses

33, 31. Not content with encouraging the forms of religious service

followed at Bethel and Dan, he boldly led the people into the grossest

heathenism, by setting aside the worship of Jehovah for Baal wor-

ship.”—Ellen G. White,

Prophets and Kings, p. 114.

From our perspective it’s hard to understand how these kings could

have fallen into such sin and apostasy. But that’s the problem: We’re

looking at these things from our perspective, not theirs. Who knows

what any of us might have done were we in the same position. These

stories should serve as a warning to all of us about how easily we can

fall away from the living God.

What daily steps can you take in your own life to protect your-

self against slo

steadil

y mo

ving away from a saving relation-

ship with Jesus Christ?

MONDAY

September 10

Power Couple

As if everything Ahab had already done weren’t bad enough, he

added to his sin by marrying Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31), the pagan

princess whose name has become synonymous with evil.

This more than likely was a marriage born out of political expedi-

ency than out of love. War, mostly with Aram under Ben-hadad, domi-

nated the 22-year reign of Ahab. This conflict prompted alliances with

other threatened neighbors and resulted in Ahab’s marrying Jezebel,

the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon, who also served as a priest of

Astarte. Sometime later Ahab’s daughter Athaliah helped cement ties

with Judah through marriage with Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat and

crown prince of Judah.

Right

after the Bible says that he married Jezebel, what did Ahab

start doing? 1 Kings 16:31–33.

____________________________________________________________________

Already so filled with sin and compromise, Ahab probably didn’t

need a lot of encouragement from his pagan wife not only to serve

Baal but also to help spread the worship of Baal in the nation of Israel.

Was she doing it because she was a true believer in her god, or was she

doing it to consolidate power? After all, if the followers of Yahweh had

control, she would probably be dead, not queen. More than likely she

was interested in keeping power. How convenient to use a supposed

devotion to her “god” as a way of getting that power.

What

evidence do we have of her attempts to eradicate the worship of

the true God and replace it with Baal worship? 1 Kings 18:4, 13;

19:1, 2; 21:25.

____________________________________________________________________

One sin led to another and another. . . . Before long the king had

reached levels of degradation he himself probably couldn’t have

ever imagined. What lessons can we learn from this sad account

that can help us not make the same kind of errors?

TUESDAY

September 11

Jezebel and Elijah

Review

the famous story in 1 Kings 18. What issues were at stake

here?

____________________________________________________________________

A powerful struggle between Elijah and Jezebel ensued. As queen,

Jezebel held political clout. With religious fervor she carried on in

Israel the work of her father, king and priest of Baal and Astarte in

Tyre and Sidon. Ahab built a temple to Baal for Jezebel, which doubt-

less included a “seminary” for the training of priests. Jezebel person-

ally presided over the Baal cult in Israel and made it the state religion.

How

did Jezebel show her support for the prophets of her cult? See

1 Kings 18:19.

____________________________________________________________________

Four hundred of these prophets ate at her table. This means that they

had access to the royal household, all with the support of her husband.

She obviously had a powerful sway over him.

In the face of this rampant apostasy, Elijah led the struggle to keep

Yahweh worship alive. Appropriately, his name meant “my God is

Yahweh.” The religious conflict came to a head when Elijah burst into

the presence of King Ahab and announced that there would be no dew

or rain except at God’s word

(1 Kings 17:1). This was a direct attack

on Baal, god of rain and, therefore, god of fertility. Ahab labeled

Elijah the “ ‘troubler of Israel’” (1 Kings 18:17, NIV), but Elijah turned

the label back at him. It is not Elijah who is the cause for the drought,

but Ahab’s departure from the worship of Yahweh (vss. 16–18). Later,

on the summit of Mount Carmel (in the absence of Jezebel but in the

presence of Ahab), Elijah exposed the impotence of Baal and demon-

strated the power of Yahweh over rain. Ahab was as impotent as Baal.

Helplessly he watched the defeat of Baalism and the slaughter of the

hundreds of priests. Back home he had to explain to Jezebel why she

did not have to have food ready the next day for all the priests of Baal.

What kind of negative influences are you surrounded with?

What can you do, as much as possible, to negate those influ-

ences?

WEDNESDAY

September 12

Naboth’s Vineyard

How

did Ahab allow things to get so bad under his rule? The story of

Naboth’s vineyard gives us insights. Read 1 Kings 21:1–4. What do

we see here about the character of Ahab that explains so much?

____________________________________________________________________

In 1 Kings 21:5–7 we see how Jezebel responded. What a contrast!

No wonder she was able to dominate the kingdom. While her husband

went home sulking, ready to give up, she conspired to get him what he

wanted. Her reaction is “Are you king of Israel or what?” Again we

see evidence that for Jezebel the issue was one of power and domina-

tion and that she was married to someone who would not stop her

quest to get it.

Read

the rest of the story (1 Kings 21:8–16). How did Jezebel go about

achieving her aims? What very clever ploy did she use? What does

this tell us about her?

____________________________________________________________________

Jezebel seemed to be quite aware of Israelite law; hence, she was

able to use it to her advantage. Besides the calling of a fast, which

meant that some horrible sin that needed to be dealt with had been

committed, she had Naboth accused of a crime that, she knew, would

lead to death

(Lev. 24:16). Then, finally, she had it arranged that at

least two witnesses would be summoned (Num. 35:30, Deut. 17:6),

which was required according to their law. This woman knew exactly

what she was doing; though someone who obviously didn’t follow the

religion of Yahweh, she knew how to exploit it to her advantage.

The rest of the chapter

(1 Kings 21:17–29) shows that though

Jezebel was the instigator of this crime, the Lord held Ahab respon-

sible, as well. Ahab knew what was going on and did nothing to stop

it. He was as guilty as his wife of this crime.

Think about how easy it is to use religion to exploit people. How

might you have been tempted to use faith to push people to do

what you want? Why must we be very careful not to allow our-

selves to fall into that trap?

THURSDAY

September 13

The End Comes . . .

Ahab’s and Jezebel’s deliberate actions in causing Israel to change

their allegiance to Baal worship and to participate in all the immoral-

ity associated with it could not fail to arouse God’s wrath. On top of

that, they added the sin of flaunting all norms of decent government

and perpetrated the cold-blooded murder of the innocent Naboth.

Their marriage was the worst possible combination: a weak-willed

king married to an unscrupulous and manipulative power-hungry

woman. No wonder it was a disaster for Israel.

How

ultimately did both Ahab and Jezebel meet their end? 1 Kings

22:29–40, 2 Kings 9:30–37.

____________________________________________________________________

The baneful influence of this wretched alliance didn’t end only with

them. They were able to pass on their influence to the next generation.

Read

1 Kings 22:51–53. What does that tell us about the continued

influence of these two wicked people?

____________________________________________________________________

“During his father’s reign, Ahaziah had witnessed the wondrous

works of the Most High. He had seen the terrible evidences that God

had given apostate Israel of the way in which He regards those who

set aside the binding claims of His law. Ahaziah had acted as if these

awful realities were but idle tales. Instead of humbling his heart before

the Lord, he had followed after Baal, and at last he had ventured upon

this, his most daring act of impiety. Rebellious, and unwilling to

repent, Ahaziah died, ‘according to the word of the Lord which Elijah

had spoken.’ ”—Ellen G. White,

Prophets and Kings, pp. 209, 210.

In what immediate ways have you been impacted by the sins of

others? What biblical principles, and promises, can you claim to

help alleviate the damage done?

FRIDAY

September 14

Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, “Exercise Authority With

Humility,” p. 215, in The Adventist Home.

“Ahab was weak in moral power. His union by marriage with an

idolatrous woman of decided character and positive temperament

resulted disastrously both to himself and to the nation. Unprincipled,

and with no high standard of rightdoing, his character was easily

molded by the determined spirit of Jezebel. His selfish nature was

incapable of appreciating the mercies of God to Israel and his own

obligations as the guardian and leader of the chosen people.”—Ellen

G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 115.

Discussion Questions:

● In many ways this week’s lesson was a lesson about the use of

power. What are the privileges that come with power? What are

the dangers? As a class, talk about the kind of power that comes

specifically with religion. What particular dangers must be

avoided in the wielding of the power associated with religion?

Why can this kind of power be the most dangerous, if abused?

How can we as a church help protect ourselves and others from

this kind of abuse?

● Another lesson we can gather from this week’s study deals

with influence. In class, talk about the kind of influences we have

as individuals and as a church. What can we do to make sure

that our influence is as positive as possible, both in the world and

in the church?

● Think about the first impression of your local church. Put

yourself in the position of a first-time visitor. What kind of

impression do you think your church makes? What are the

strong points? What are the weak points? What can you do as a

class to help make that first impression as good as it can be?

Summary:

Bad to begin with, Ahab became much worse under the

influence of Jezebel. No other couple abused their authority as much

as they did. God had to intervene to save both Israel and Judah from

ruin.

INSIDE

Caught Off Guard

by DAVID PRICE

Iris Chan loved to surf the Internet. She often slipped into Internet chat

rooms just to see what was happening. The last thing she expected to find

on the Internet was God.

Iris grew up in a Chinese family that did not believe in God or any reli-

gion. “For more than twenty-five years, I had shut God out of my life,” she

said.

Then in 2001 Iris hit an emotional brick wall during a traumatic break-

up. While surfing one day on the Internet, she entered a chat room and

there met a guy who lived not far from her in Sydney, Australia. This guy

surprised her by announcing that he was a Seventh-day Adventist

Christian and a vegetarian. Iris was surprised but not turned off. She

responded to him, and thus began an online friendship that eventually led

to Iris visiting a Seventh-day Adventist church.

Iris went, and the experience plunged her into a period of intense ques-

tioning about God and the Bible. The pastor patiently addressed her ques-

tions and helped her find the answers she needed. Iris admits that she was

still skeptical of Christianity when she accepted an invitation to attend a

Daniel and Revelation seminar. But there she saw the Bible as authentic

and reliable. After months of additional questions and answers, Iris sur-

rendered her life to Christ and was baptized.

Iris now uses her computer skills for God. She is her own church’s web-

master and has developed online Bible prophecy study courses as part of

the Greater Sydney Conference’s initiative in Internet outreach. She cur-

rently interacts with more than one hundred students online.

Iris’s story shows how God can use any medium to reach even non-

searchers and draw them to the feet of Jesus. “There is no medium that

God cannot use to reach people who are searching for something, even

something they cannot name,” Iris says.

The Adventist Discovery Center in Sydney, Australia, is constantly

seeking new ways to reach people with the gospel. Iris knows it will work,

for God used the Internet, the one thing she was passionate about, to reach

her soul.

DAVID PRICE

is associate dir

ector of the

Adventist Disco

very Center in Sydne

Australia.

tor

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

L ESSON

*September 15–21

Hosea and Gomer:

Forgiving

the Unfaithful

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study:

Hosea 1–3.

Memory Text:

“The Lord said to me, ‘Go, show your love to

your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulter-

ess. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to

other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes’ ” (Hosea 3:1, NIV).

here are many who believe that the story of Hosea and Gomer

should not be taken literally. God, they believe, would not

require anyone, least of all a prophet, to undergo such a tragic

experience. Such people believe that the story should be understood

as an allegory.

But why? God used other prophets’ family lives to illustrate their

messages, so why not this one? Isaiah pointed out that he and his chil-

dren were signs and symbols in Israel from God

(Isa. 8:18). Jeremiah

was instructed not to marry or to have children, all in order to rein-

force his message of doom (Jer. 16:2–4). Ezekiel’s wife died and God,

who foretold it, instructed the prophet not to mourn for her (Ezek.

24:16).

Thus, we may take the story literally, as the experience of a prophet

who had a wife, lost her to other men, but lovingly took her back. This

is not an isolated incident. Throughout history men and women have

forgiven an unfaithful spouse and rebuilt a wholesome relationship.

The Week at a Glance:

The story of Hosea and Gomer pow-

erfully illustrates God’s love for His wayward people.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 22.

SUNDAY

September 16

Hosea and Gomer

When you consider the kind of intimate relationship that the Lord

sought with His people, a relationship compared with marriage (Hos.

2:19, 20; Isa. 62:5), then the imagery and symbolism that takes place

here becomes clearer.

From what we can tell, Hosea’s prophetic ministry spanned the

reigns of Uzziah (790–739), Jotham (750–732), Ahaz (735–715), and

Hezekiah (729 – 686), kings of Judah. This acknowledges a ministry

of about forty years and corresponds with the idea that both his min-

istry and his marriage commenced about the same time. Nothing more

is known about the prophet as a person. His father, Beeri, is not men-

tioned elsewhere in the Bible. His hometown is not identified. His

messages address the northern kingdom of Israel, and he surely

resided there, the only literary prophet to do so. These were the clos-

ing years of Israel’s history, but Hosea does not record the fall to

Assyria in 722

B.C. He must have moved to Judah and written his book

before that event. His ministry is dated by kings of Judah.

Based on numerous allusions to baking in Hosea 7:4–8, some sus-

pect that Hosea was a baker by profession. He describes the oven, its

fire, and the kneading and rising of the dough.

Read

Hosea 1:1, 2. What did God tell Hosea to do? What was the

symbolism behind this action? See also Jer. 3:1, 2, 9; 13:27; Ezek.

16:15, 16; 23:17–19.

____________________________________________________________________

Was Gomer a prostitute? While the NIV calls Gomer adulterous, the

Hebrew text does not call her a harlot but uses the phrase

“woman/wife of harlotry.” There are several options: (1) She could be

the daughter or granddaughter of a harlot (some descendants drifted

into the profession themselves). (2) She could be a woman who shows

such tendencies. (3) She may be called a harlot by one with a

prophetic knowledge of the future. (4) The book was written years

later, by which time her character was fully known.

Gomer was obviously a real person. The value of Hosea’s relation-

ship with a real unfaithful wife has so much more meaning than if the

story were a mere allegory. The Lord used this account to give His

people a powerful message about what their spiritual unfaithfulness

was really like. No doubt He was seeking to draw them back to

Himself.

MONDAY

September 17

Gomer’s Unfaithfulness

Soon after Hosea married Gomer, we are told that she “bore him” a

son (Hos. 1:3, NIV). The text indicates that Hosea can claim to be the

father of the child. Gomer had two more children, but the text does not

say that she bore them to Hosea, just that she “gave birth to a daugh-

ter,” and “had another son”

(vss. 6, 8, NIV). The language allows for

Hosea not to have been the father. Some Bibles openly interpret the

texts to say just that.

The first son was named

Jezreel, which means “God scatters.” The

next child was a girl named Lo-ruhammah, which means “not loved.”

Though God gives the names, it would be appropriate for Hosea to

indicate that he does not love a child that is not his. The final child is

a son named Lo-ammi, meaning “not my people.” Again, this could be

a sign that Hosea does not accept the child as his. In fact, Hosea does

declare that he cannot show his love to her children because they are

the result of adultery, conceived in disgrace (Hos. 2:4, 5).

What

are Hosea’s charges regarding Gomer? Hos. 2:5, 8.

____________________________________________________________________

It may seem preposterous to think that any person might not know

who brings home the food, but there are several ways to understand

and apply these passages. We may take a cue from the application to

the Israelites. They credited Baal—the god of rain and fertility—with

their harvests of the fields and vineyards (grain and wine), their wool,

and their oilseeds. They considered their gold and silver also as gifts

from Baal and used these metals lavishly in the manufacture of images

to him

(see Hos. 8:4, 13:2). Imagine God’s reaction to their obeisance

to Baal all the while He was providing rain for their crops in addition

to all their other blessings.

There is a certain blindness that comes in with sin. This blindness

causes reasoning to be clouded so that persons can come to such stu-

pid conclusions, conclusions they use to justify stupid actions.

What has been your own experience with the power of sin to

blind your mind? What other Bible accounts reveal this spir-

itual danger? See, for instance, John 9. What steps can you take

to protect yourself from falling into this blindness?

TUESDAY

September 18

Spiritual Adultery

As we’ve seen, if the Bible uses the idea of marriage to depict the

intimate relationship that God seeks with His people—then adultery,

even whoredom, are appropriate symbols of what happens when

God’s people are not spiritually faithful to Him.

Of all the ways that married people can hurt each other, adultery has

to be one of the worst. A married couple, through physical intimacy,

creates a sacred environment that only they themselves, as one flesh,

should ever enter. To violate that is to violate a sacred trust; it’s to

share with another what should belong only to that couple.

Read

Matthew 5:32. What can we discern here from Christ’s words

about just how bad adultery is?

____________________________________________________________________

The real issue, however, in the story of Hosea isn’t marital infidelity;

it’s spiritual apostasy; it’s about God’s people going after other gods.

Today most of us are not polytheists; we don’t openly seek and wor-

ship what we believe are other divine entities (Satan knows we’re too

sophisticated for that). However, spiritual adultery isn’t dead among

us. There are numerous ways in which we can be lured into this kind

of adultery, even whoredom.

What

are some things that we face today that could lead us, as indi-

viduals, or even as a church, into spiritual adultery?

____________________________________________________________________

We mustn’t be fooled: Bit by bit, little by little, we can slowly be

lured away from total dedication and faithfulness to God. Slowly but

surely the ways of the world, its methods, its ideology, and its moral

views can cause us to depart from the intimate and close relationship that

God wants with us, and before we know it, we’re committing spiritual

adultery.

None of us are immune to the temptations of spiritual adultery.

What are some Bible texts that, if obeyed, could help protect us?

Find the texts, write them down, and bring them to class on

Sabbath. See, f

or instance

, Phil. 4:8, Col. 2:6, 1 Pet. 4:1.

100

WEDNESDAY

September 19

Bearing the Fruit of Unfaithfulness

Sin is always what it has been: the most deadly and destructive force

in the universe. However pleasurable it can be, in one way or another,

it always reaps bitter results. How many men and women, for instance,

thinking they would find happiness through their adulterous affairs,

ended up bringing only sadness and pain to themselves and others?

What

happens to Gomer as she plays the harlot? Read Hos. 2:1–13.

____________________________________________________________________

What

parable of Jesus does this story remind you of? See especially

Hos. 2:7.

____________________________________________________________________

All through the history of ancient Israel, the people were tempted to

worship idols, images of “silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and

stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know”

(Dan. 5:23). Again, we

might not be tempted today to bow down and worship idols, but we

can be just as easily swept away from God by things of the world that

in the end do not satisfy us, that cannot meet the deepest needs of our

hearts, and that cannot save us in the day of judgment

(see Jer. 2:27,

28).

A few years ago in the United States a man won the lottery, taking

home more than $113 million. Within a few years his life was

destroyed; the money that had become his god also became the thing

that led to his ruin.

The message that the Lord was seeking to teach His people through

the story of Hosea and Gomer was this: Be faithful to the only God

that there is, the only God who loves you and who can save you and

who can provide for your deepest needs.

What has been your own experience with God working to keep

you close to Him? How have you responded? What changes do

you need to make that will help you better respond to His

prompting?

101

THURSDAY

September 20

Amazing Love

Read

Hosea 2:14–23. Despite everything, what does the Lord tell

Hosea to do? What’s the message there for us?

____________________________________________________________________

Hosea had already condemned his wife, listed his accusations, and

twice passed his verdict. (1) “ ‘Therefore I will block her path . . .’ ”

(Hos. 2:6, NIV). (2) “ ‘Therefore I will take away my grain . . .’ ” (vs.

9, NIV). We are prepared for the third and final verdict; it turns out,

however, to be a surprise.

Hosea’s first method of keeping his wife at home could not be a

lasting solution. She was bound to escape sooner or later, and even if

she didn’t, there could be no real satisfaction in keeping her that way.

The second method had a greater chance for success. He had wooed

her and won her once before, and he could do it again, provided he

was sincere. Hosea was instructed not just to take her back but to love

her as the Lord loves the Israelites.

Read

Hosea 3. What happens here, and what does it symbolize?

____________________________________________________________________

Note that Hosea is not only to take her back but to love her. Not just

love her but love her as God loves His people. Hosea followed God’s

command again and bought her for 15 shekels of silver and a measure

of barley. A slave normally commanded a price of 30 shekels (Exod.

21:32), but either the barley made up for the difference, or else Gomer

went at a discount.

Hosea taking back his adulterous wife mirrors the historical situa-

tion. God loves His people Israel even though they have been adulter-

ous. This is the message delivered by Hosea in words and in action.

The Israelites can accept the faithfulness of God so much more easily

when they view the faithfulness of Hosea in taking back an unfaithful

wife.

Are you where you should be in terms of your relationship with

the Lord? Have you committed spiritual adultery? What hope

can you draw from the message that God has given us through

these chapters?

102

FRIDAY

September 21

Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, “Moral Standards,” pp. 326–

339, in The Adventist Home.

The story related in these pages shows us just how willing God is to

forgive His erring children. Violation of marriage through infidelity

has to be one of the worst ways a person can betray another. And God

uses that imagery to depict how He views His own people’s spiritual

adultery. Yet, He’s willing to forgive them and take them back. These

chapters, if nothing else, reveal to God’s people the extent of His

grace.

“Jesus is our Saviour today. He is pleading for us in the most holy

place of the heavenly sanctuary, and he will forgive our sins. It makes

all the difference in the world with us spiritually whether we rely upon

God without doubt, as upon a sure foundation, or whether we are

seeking to find some righteousness in ourselves before we come to

him. Look away from self to the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin

of the world. It is a sin to doubt. The least unbelief, if cherished,

involves the soul in guilt, and brings great darkness and discourage-

ment. It is saying that the Lord is false, that he will not do as he has

promised; and he is greatly dishonored.”—Ellen G. White,

Gospel

Workers (1892), p. 426.

Discussion Questions:

● As a class, go over the Bible verses you used to answer the

question at the end of Tuesday’s lesson. What practical principles

can you take from these texts that can help us, as individuals and

as a church, to protect ourselves from spiritual adultery?

● As a class, talk about what you believe the basic message found

in these few chapters in Hosea is. What is the Lord telling us as a

church today through this story? What lessons should we not

draw from it?

● Are there some church members who have fallen away? As a

class, make an effort to contact these people, to show them that

you care about them and that you are interested in them. In what

ways can you show them the kind of grace and mercy that God

has revealed to us through this story?

Summary:

The marriage of Hosea and Gomer is the best illustration

of forgiveness of an unfaithful spouse in the Bible. It’s also an exam-

ple of God’s willingness to forgive us.

INSIDE

103

One Man for God

by JOHN T. NOEL

I live in a village in southern Sudan. Most people here belong to a

Protestant church that has been working here for 100 years. Then John

Charles came to our village. One Sunday he came to visit, and I invited

him to worship with me. I was surprised when he said he had worshiped

God the day before. “Where do you worship on Saturday?” I asked. He

told me that he worshiped in his hut, reading the Bible, singing, and pray-

ing alone.

“What do you believe that makes you worship on Saturday?” I asked

him.

He answered, “First, let me tell you about Jesus.”

I told him I knew about Jesus, but he said if I truly knew about Jesus, I

would follow His commandments. After a long talk, he invited my brother

and me to come to his home and hear more. John Charles read about God’s

love from the Bible. He explained that God has outlined principles He

wants us to live by. He turned to the Ten Commandments and read each

one. When he read the fourth commandment, I realized that this was why

John Charles worshiped on Saturday. My brother and I believed.

Our friends warned us that John Charles was a false teacher, but I shared

with them what he had taught us, including the Ten Commandments.

Eventually ten of us studied with John Charles. We all believed, but our

families refused to allow us to leave our Protestant church without a fight.

My father even brought his spear to try to convince me to reconsider. I

refused. But I had a problem. Like many men here, I had two wives. I

asked God what to do, and He told me to choose the wife who will share

my faith. So I took both wives to the Bible studies with me. My first wife

did not want to follow my faith. So I gave her a dowry, and she returned

to her parents’ village. My second wife accepted the beliefs I now love,

and we have been baptized.

Some of the new believers have become lay evangelists to other villages.

I remained in my village, where I study with people who want to know

more about God. So far 28 people here have become Adventists and more

than one hundred in the area, thanks to John Charles’ fearless ministry.

Even my parents are interested in learning God’s truths from the Bible.

Your mission offerings are making a difference in the lives of many in

Sudan and throughout the world.

JOHN T. NOEL

shares his faith in his home villa

e in southern Sudan.

tor

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

104

L ESSON

*September 22–28

Yahweh and Israel:

Fulfillment Beyond

Failure

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This W

eek’s Study:

Exod. 3:6–14; 6:6–8;

Josh. 24:1–18; Jer. 5:19, 22; Ezek. 16:26–29, 34; Hosea 9:1; John

20:21; Phil. 4:4; 1 Thess. 1:6; 1 John 2:12.

Memory Text:

“ ‘For your Maker is your husband—the Lord

Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;

he is called the God of all the earth’ ”

(Isaiah 54:5, NIV).

osea, the last prophet to the northern kingdom, Israel, employed

the metaphor of marriage to illustrate the relationship between

Yahweh and His people. His tragic personal life intertwined

with his prophetic ministry. He took back his unfaithful wife to show

that Yahweh was prepared to take His wayward people back.

A hundred years later Jeremiah, the last prophet before the

Babylonian captivity, tried to prevent Judah from a similar fate. The

people of Judah should have learned a lesson from their sister, Israel,

but did not.

Ezekiel, at the same time, ministered to the captives in Babylon. Both

prophets borrowed the marriage metaphor for Judah. Jeremiah himself

never married. God instructed him not to marry or to enter a house for

a feast because the sounds of gladness and of marriage were coming to

an end

(Jer. 16:2–4, 8, 9). Ezekiel’s wife was taken away suddenly as a

sign that the temple was about to be destroyed (Ezek. 24:15–21).

The Week at a Glance:

Despite His people’

s unfaithful

ness, the Lord was willing to give them another chance.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 29.

105

SUNDAY

September 23

The Beginning of the Relationship

“ ‘ “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you

loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not

sown. Israel was holy to the Lord” ’ ”

(Jer. 2:2, 3, NIV).

Yahweh identified Himself to Moses and declared that He was

about to fulfill His promises to Israel (Exod. 3:6–14, 6:6–8). God

promised to make them His own people and to give them a land of

their own to dwell in.

The prophets considered the time of the journey through the desert

like a honeymoon period, a time they were loyal to Yahweh and did not

follow other gods. The Israelites experienced a great deliverance in

the Exodus, and that event could be likened to the inauguration of the

“marriage” promises.

How

did Joshua understand what the Lord, through upholding His end

of the covenant, had done and would do for Israel? See Joshua 24.

vss. 3, 4

____________________________________________________________________

vss. 5–7

____________________________________________________________________

vss. 8–12

____________________________________________________________________

vs. 13

____________________________________________________________________

What

were the things the Israelites needed to do in return? See Josh.

24:14–18.

____________________________________________________________________

If you read the words of the Israelites as expressed in the above

texts, you can’t help coming away with the fervor and sincerity of their

expression. God forbid that we should serve any other gods! After all,

look at what He has done for us!

How often have you made a vow to the Lord, in all sincerity and

fervor at the time, only to violate it later? What can you do to

better ensure that you will remain faithful to the things you’ve

promised to the Lord?

106

MONDAY

September 24

Unfaithfulness of the Bride

The reigns of David and Solomon were characterized by general

loyalty to Yahweh. But to prevent his subjects from journeying south

to the temple and there getting tempted to defect to Judah, Jeroboam,

the first king of Israel in the north, constructed golden calves at Dan

and Bethel (1 Kings 12:28–30). Since he appointed his own priests,

the Levites from all the districts of Israel migrated to Judah (2 Chron.

11:13–16). Later kings who led Israel to follow other gods were

likened to Jeroboam I (1 Kings 16:7, 26).

The prophets condemned Israel and Judah for exchanging God’s

glory for worthless idols (Hos. 4:7, Jer. 2:11) and for resorting to

seeking help from other nations, instead of relying on Yahweh (Jer.

2:18). This abandoning of trust by Judah in Yahweh, Jeremiah

charges, is like forgetting her marriage to Yahweh—forgetting her

wedding jewelry and ornaments (vs. 32).

What

graphic image do the prophets use to describe Israel’s and

Judah’s unfaithfulness?

Jer. 5:7

____________________________________________________________________

Ezek. 16:26–29, 34

____________________________________________________________________

Hos. 9:1

____________________________________________________________________

At one moment the relationship is described as like a man and

woman on their honeymoon; the next thing you know, the bride is

depicted as selling herself into whoredom. Even worse, Ezekiel

declares that although most prostitutes charged a fee, Judah was pre-

pared to make a payment for providing her own services

(Ezek. 16:34)!

Imagine a woman having a loving, caring husband, one who offers to

give her so much, who does all for her that he possibly can (Isa. 5:4),

and yet she abandons that relationship for a string of men who want

her only for carnal pleasure.

It makes no sense, and that’s because sin makes no sense. Unless we

are surrendered dail

y to God

, sin will cause us to do things just as

reckless and foolish.

What reckless and stupid things have you seen people do

because of sin? How can you protect yourself from allowing sin

to do the same thing to y

ou?

107

TUESDAY

September 25

Reaping the Fruits of Unfaithfulness

Though the Bible uses the image of an unfaithful woman, men have

proved even more likely to be unfaithful to their spouse. Either way,

as so often the case, someone commits adultery, thinking to find hap-

piness where they are forbidden to seek it, only to discover misery and

suffering instead.

A man left his wife for another woman. Within two years his lover

had milked him for every cent he had; she had given him an incurable

venereal disease; and, finally, she had left him for another man.

Penniless, diseased, and heartbroken, he begged his former wife to

take him back. She refused. Amid all this, the man had the audacity to

ask, “Why, God, why have You allowed this to happen to me?”

How often the punishment befits the crime. Living in the Land of

Promise hinged on the children of Israel’s loyalty to Yahweh. When

they forsook Him in favor of other gods, Yahweh was under no obli-

gation to keep protecting them from the armies of other nations. They

were left to reap the fruits of their unfaithfulness.

Read

Jeremiah 5:19. What important principle is seen here? See also

Gal. 6:7.

____________________________________________________________________

Read

Jeremiah 5:22. What is the Lord saying to His people? What

principle is He explaining to them? What warning is implied here,

as well?

____________________________________________________________________

God created us; He knows more about us than we do. And He

knows what’s best for us; and because He loves us, He wants what’s

best for us. That’s why He commands us to obey Him (Deut. 10:13).

By following His law, by living in harmony with the principles He has

established, we can be protected from so much unnecessary pain and

suffering.

What has been your own experience with the protections and

safety that come from obedience? What lessons have you been

forced to learn the hard way?

108

WEDNESDAY

September 26

Restoration

By allowing Israel and Judah to be taken captive out of the land that

had been covenanted to them, God was, in effect, “divorcing” them

(Jer. 3:8). However, this wasn’t to be the last word. At first Jeremiah

declared that the sounds of joy and gladness and the voices of the

bride and bridegroom would be silenced (Jer. 7:34, 16:9, 25:10).

Later he added that the period of silence would be limited, and once

more the sound of bride and bridegroom would be heard in the land

(Jer. 33:11).

Why

would the sound be considered the sound of joy, of mirth, of glad-

ness? What message was the Lord giving His people then—and us

today? See also John 20:21, Phil. 4:4, 1 Thess. 1:6, 1 John 2:12.

____________________________________________________________________

What

promises did God make to His unfaithful bride? Jer. 25:11,

29:10, Ezek. 16:60.

____________________________________________________________________

With the threat of punishment the prophets included a ray of hope.

When Jeremiah declared that the sounds of joy and gladness and the

voices of the bride and bridegroom would be silenced

(Jer. 7:34,

16:9),

he added later that the period of silence would be limited to 70

years (Jer. 25:11). Then their oppressors would be overthrown. Hosea

spoke of a period for Israel when there would be no pregnancy, no

conception

(Hos. 9:11), but after this would come a time of healing

and love (Hos. 14:4). So, God’s action is not really punishment, but

discipline.

The prophets urged Israel to return to Yahweh, promising that He

would be faithful in accepting them back. They were confident that

Israel would return, but the restoration of the relationship can rest only

on one condition—that God’s people in returning to Him should aban-

don their idolatrous wa

ys, obey His commands, and rely completely

on Yahweh again.

109

THURSDAY

September 27

New Covenant Promises

It’s bad enough, a woman being unfaithful to her spouse; yet, the

imagery used was that of a woman who sold herself into prostitution.

How low! And yet, as we have seen, the Lord was still willing to take

Israel back, still willing to forgive, still willing to heal the broken rela-

tionship. The Lord promised that He would make atonement for all

that Israel has done

(Ezek. 16:63). Not only would He take them back,

but He would do even more for them.

Read

Jeremiah 31:31–37 (see also Gal. 3:29; Heb. 8:7–13; 10:16, 17).

What is the message for ancient Israel, and for us today? What

hope, what promises, are found there for us?

____________________________________________________________________

Not only would the Lord forgive their sins; He promised to write the

law in their hearts, to impress it on their minds (Jer. 31:33). This text

is the foundation of the gospel, the mystery of grace. This is the new

covenant, and it forms the foundation of His promises to all who have

given themselves to Jesus in faith and obedience.

We might fall, we might sin, we might make mistakes, but thanks to

Jesus—and the fullness of what He has done and is doing for us—God

will not forsake us. The plan of salvation, at its heart, offers us all for-

giveness; no sin is too great, no sinner too bad, that forgiveness can’t

be found at the foot of the Cross. This was, in its own context, the

message that God gave to ancient Israel; and it is, in our context, that

of the light shining from the cross of Calvary, the message that the

Lord has for His people today. Even if we have “played the harlot,”

our loving and caring husband, the Lord, loves us and wants to take us

back. He, though, doesn’t force us; instead, He draws us with “bands

of love”

(Hos. 11:4).

Have you played the harlot? Have you spurned God’s love? His

words to you are, “Come back! I will heal and forgive.” The

question now is, What is your response?

110

FRIDAY

September 28

Further Study:

“The Role of Israel in Old Testament Prophecy,”

pp. 25–38, in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4.

“Nor were these the only prophecies upon which the exiles had

opportunity to base their hope of speedy deliverance. The writings of

Jeremiah were within their reach, and in these was plainly set forth the

length of time that should elapse before the restoration of Israel from

Babylon. ‘When seventy years are accomplished,’ the Lord had fore-

told through His messenger, ‘I will punish the king of Babylon, and

that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the

Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.’ Jeremiah 25:12.

Favor would be shown the remnant of Judah, in answer to fervent

prayer. ‘I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away

your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all

the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring

you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away cap-

tive.’ Jeremiah 29:14.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 552,

553.

Discussion Questions:

● As a class, talk more about the question of how sin causes peo-

ple to do irrational and reckless things. How is it that people who

know better nevertheless allow themselves to be swept away by

their passions? What can we do, if anything, to help someone we

see heading down that path?

● Talk about the idea of God’s law being a protection.What does

that mean? How does it protect us? What does it protect us from?

At the same time, too, why is faithfulness to the law and to the

principles of living that God has given us no guarantee that we

will not suffer?

● Wednesday’s lesson talked about the joy, happiness, and peace

that come from being in a saving relationship with our Lord. Talk

about just what it is about serving the Lord that brings joy, hap-

piness, and peace. Let each member share their own experiences.

Seek to learn from each other. Why, in a world full of idols (in

whatever form they come), is it important to focus on the bless-

ings and good things that we have been given as children of God?

Summary:

Though the Israelites failed Yahweh, we must not judge

them. After all, how faithful are we—who have them as an example—

to our covenant v

ws to the Lord?

INSIDE

111

A Fisherman’s Prayer

by A. B. ARLOO

The African country of Ghana has a large and vibrant Adventist pres-

ence. But unreached areas remain, such as the Afram Plains of eastern

Ghana. This region, with nearly impassible terrain and a harsh climate, is

difficult to enter. Until recently most of the 1.6 million people living there

had never heard the Adventist message. In 2002 a team of Global Mission

pioneers entered the Afram Plains to sow the seed of the gospel. One day

the evangelists learned that God had, indeed, gone before them to prepare

the soil.

Maxwell Vitashi is an old fisherman in the area. One day he paddled his

boat upstream for several miles in search of a good catch. But as he

dragged in his nets, his boat suddenly capsized, and he was tossed into the

swift-flowing waters.

Maxwell swam toward the nearest shore, but the river was wide, and his

strength began to fail. He feared that he would die. Although he was not a

Christian, he prayed, “God, save me.” Suddenly he felt a powerful force

push him to a spot between two tree stumps. He grabbed the stumps and

hung on, gasping for breath. He looked around. He was utterly alone. His

hands grew numb from the cold water, and he wondered whether he would

still die in the river. Again he prayed.

From nowhere a boat appeared. Two men paddled toward Maxwell,

lifted him from his perch, and settled him into their boat. They paddled

toward the riverbank and carried him to the shore, where they gently laid

him on the ground. Maxwell heaved a weary sigh. Then he quickly sat up

to thank the men who had saved him. They were gone. He scanned the

beach and the river, but he found no sign of the men who had saved him.

Maxwell stumbled into the village, where he told everyone what had

happened. “Who were the men?” many asked. But Maxwell did not know.

He had lived in this region his entire life and had never seen them before.

Maxwell lost his boat that day, but he rejoices that the God of the uni-

verse stepped down to save his life and reveal His presence to a humble

fisherman who, until then, did not even know God’s name.

When the Global Mission pioneers arrived in his village shortly after

Maxwell’s experience, the fisherman welcomed them and invited his fam-

ily and friends to listen and learn about the God who heard his desperate

prayers.

A. B. ARLOO

is the Global Mission and Sa

bbath Sc

hool dir

ector f

or the East Ghana

Conference in Koforidua, Ghana.

tor

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.adventistmission.org

2007

112

Bible Study Guide for the Fourth Quarter

This quarter’s study, The Refiner’s Fire by Gavin Anthony, will

delve into why we, as Christians who have committed our lives to

Christ, also experience suffering. We know Christ Himself was no

stranger to suffering. This study will show us that pain, suffering, and

loss do not mean that God has abandoned us. But rather, it will show

that God gives us meaning and purpose in these difficult times, and,

above all, we can trust Him.

Lesson 1

—The Shepherd’s Crucible

The Week at a Glance:

SUNDAY: A Guide for the Journey: The Shepherd (Ps. 23:1)

MONDAY: Locations on the Journey (Ps. 23:3, NRSV)

TUESDAY: Unexpected Detour 1: The Valley (Ps. 23:4, NKJV)

WEDNESDAY: Unexpected Detour 2: The Surrounded Table (Ps.

23:5, NKJV)

THURSDAY: A Certain Promise for the Journey (Ps. 23:6, NKJV)

Memory Text—

Psalm 23:3

Sabbath Gem:

At times we feel we have been treated unfairly,

betrayed, or led into the valley of death as described in our memory

text. But God clearly promises to us that He will restore us and use

these painful experiences to train us in righteousness.

Lesson 2

—The Crucibles

That Come

The Week at a Glance:

SUNDAY: Surprises (1 Pet. 4:12, NIV)

MONDAY: Crucibles of Satan (1 Pet. 5:8, NKJV)

TUESDAY: Crucibles of Sin (Rom. 1:8, NKJV)

WEDNESDAY: Crucibles of Purification (Jer. 9:7, NKJV)

THURSDAY: Crucibles of Maturity (2 Cor. 12:7, NKJV)

Memory Text—

1 Peter 4:12, 13, NIV

Sabbath Gem:

God often allows us to experience difficult cir-

cumstances that cause our characters to change, develop, and grow.

We need to begin to recognize how God works in our lives to better

understand what our response should be.

Lessons for the Visually Impaired

The regular Adult Sabbath School

Bible Study Guide

is available free each month in braille and on audiocassette to

sight-impaired and physically handicapped persons who cannot read normal ink

print. This includes individuals who, because of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, paralysis,

accident, and so f

orth, cannot hold or focus on normal ink-print publications. Contact

Christian Record Services, Box 6097, Lincoln, NE 68506-0097.